S07.E17: Driving Miss Crazy

[Peanut6711]

10 hours ago, SadieT said:

Hanna took a break from screeching and rolling her eyes to get fake married in a tent. Seriously what’s the time-line here? Wasn’t Caleb banging one of her best friends like less than a month ago? 

Yep, I'm pretty sure it hasn't been more than a month or two since the Spaleb fling had just ended around the night of the Run Rollins Over w/the Car incident and since Allie isn't very far along in her pregnancy, there hasn't been that much time passed though I suspect the show would like viewers to incorrectly assume there has been. Which brings me to a possible continuity error....Caleb is supposedly "living" at the Radley since he installed the security system--Is this a new security system as in an update from a previous one? Their conversation about it sorta leaves you to believe he's been there since the hotel first opened but that can't be because when the Liars first returned to Rosewood, Caleb was living at Spencers. So he's really only been staying at the Radley and showering at Hannah's (Lucas's) for no more than the time they've gotten back together.  

I really hope AD has a recording of the night Caleb bared his soul and bawled his eyes out over Spencer the night she wouldn't open the door so it can be played at the Haleb wedding right after their vows. Nothing says love like waxing poetic to two women, both friends, whose spicy tunas you know so well. ;-) And on that notion, please let AD substitute Aria and Ezra's wedding programs with that precious report Aria is so desperate to get back complete with a red AD signature, "Best Wishes, Bitches!" 

Edited June 7, 2017 by Peanut6711

[marinaalexis]

Quote

I'm so confused...I thought the ending made it obvious that Mona was behind the game and was the one operating VideoAria. 

If anything that scene should have made it obvious that that's exactly what's not going to happen.

[Jeffurry]

I feel like with this show they first find out which non-lead actors (parents, Mona, Lucas, Jenna, etc.) are available in a given week and then they write them into the plot. This process starts anew every week.

[Lady Calypso]

41 minutes ago, Peanut6711 said:

Which brings me to a possible continuity error....Caleb is supposedly "living" at the Radley since he installed the security system--Is this a new security system as in an update from a previous one? Their conversation about it sorta leaves you to believe he's been there since the hotel first opened but that can't be because when the Liars first returned to Rosewood, Caleb was living at Spencers. So he's really only been staying at the Radley and showering at Hannah's (Lucas's) for no more than the time they've gotten back together.  

And apparently, Ashley's missed a month or two since before Caleb/Hanna were together but they're treating it like she's been gone for several months. But go Ashley for questioning Caleb's intentions with Hanna.

Also, I assume that before the Liars came back to town, they didn't need a fancy security system. There was no spike in crime since the Liars left, so they could make do with a minimal, basic security system. I do think Caleb mentioned last episode that he had upgraded the security system. 

44 minutes ago, Peanut6711 said:

I really hope AD has a recording of the night Caleb bared his soul and bawled his eyes out over Spencer the night she wouldn't open the door so it can be played at the Haleb wedding right after their vows. Nothing says love like waxing poetic to two women, both friends, whose spicy tunas you know so well. ;-) And on that notion, please let AD substitute Aria and Ezra's wedding programs with that precious report Aria is so desperate to get back complete with a red AD signature, "Best Wishes, Bitches!" 

Same here. I really need Caleb to get some karma for his shitty and gross behaviour since the time jump. Who knew that teenage Caleb was the best version? 

Also, I'm willing to bet that Ezra will not care about the almost report, and it would be nice if he got pissed that she didn't trust him. If only for the possibility of imagining them as a miserable married couple with trust issues. 

[Perfect Xero]

29 minutes ago, Lady Calypso said:

Same here. I really need Caleb to get some karma for his shitty and gross behaviour since the time jump. Who knew that teenage Caleb was the best version? 

You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become a douchebag.

[Peanut6711]

30 minutes ago, Perfect Xero said:

You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become a douchebag.

I think Caleb has already outlived any possible hero status. He's definitely in douchebag territory. 

[Chinspinner]

I am used to plot induced stupidity being the driving force of these characters, but when I can list twenty potential responses to every plot point that are better than the one chosen by the Liar's, you really do start to lose all interest in the show. Especially when the response they inexplicably choose is so mind-numbingly dull.

This show is like some comedy of errors. No, worse; it is the dramatic equivalent of "Mr Bean"; with five Mr Bean's in drag as the main character's all fighting their own ineptitude as they fumble through situations that regular people would resolve with one phonecall. The omniscience of AD only exacerbates this sense of slap-stick, since he keeps placing up-turned rakes wherever the Pretty Mr Bean's place their foot. 

I must admit that I am really struggling to sit through these final episodes. 

Onto the specifics of this episode: -

The Aria/ Ezra nonsense is so thoroughly tedious, but only marginally more tedious than all the other couplings... I was equally as bored by Hanna and Caleb this week. The only vaguely entertaining characters are Mona and the (passably competent) cop whose name I forget.

That back-of-car jump scare was laugh-out-loud funny; haha- the Batman voice she put on, when she said "drive!".

A nightmare? A nightmare? PLL really are scraping the bottom of the barrel for drama now. 

And this week, Mona is the red-herring- AGAIN, for the 300th time, except for the time when she was actually A, and not a red-herring. This show is so bereft of new ideas, everything in it is such vacuous nonsense. It is so crap! 

Edited June 7, 2017 by Chinspinner

[apgold1]

15 hours ago, Peanut6711 said:

MK blows me away with her idea of love & romance...in the same episode Ezra blows off his role in using underage Aria and stalking her friends for a book, Caleb proposes to Hannah a few weeks after bedding one of her best friends. That's some swoon-worthy men right there. 

But major kudos to Mrs. H even if it was a dream. Best line of the episode to Aria: "You selfish little bitch. I wouldn't piss on you if you were on fire!"

I actually clapped when she said that to Dream!Aria.  I think that's what most of us are thinking about her.  She and Ezra deserve each other.

Mona was awesome again in her scenes and I don't think she's working with AD - she's trying to solve what's going on, whether motivated by her love of solving evil puzzles or she wants to protect herself from being an accessory.  And between Twin Peaks and this show, I'm getting tired of shovels.  

Didn't miss Ali one bit.

[Writing Wrongs]

I love Moana. The rest was meh.

I thought VideoAria sounded like Sydney.

[tennisgurl]

I don't know what my favorite part of the dream sequence was. Was it watching Mona looking and sounding totally awesome, or watching Ezra getting his ass kicked in prison, even if it was in musical video form? I'm going to say...both. If I was supposed to come away from that feeling bad for Aria, it utterly failed. Aria is ridiculously selfish, and I cant wait for everyone to find out about her bullshit. Kick her out, and give Mona her spot on the team. I don't at all think Mona is on the A Team, I think she's trying to help the girls, and is, as usual, about a thousand times more competent than any of them.  

Spencer is usually my favorite, but her swallowing every line that Mary spits at her is just pitiful. I'm just glad she didn't go off with her at the end and stuck with her actual parents. I mean, yeah this is a big deal and all, and Mary is her bio mom, but she's still shady, why should Spencer buy anything she's selling just because she slept with her dad? Oh, wait, that's not really the right way to describe that event, I think that would be "rape by fraud", this thing that other people might think is gross and a pretty big deal. Look, I'm not saying Peter is a good guy by any means, but this one really isn't on him. And he, for all his faults, love Spencer, and did what he did for what he really did seem to think were good reasons. Of course, this show has not really understood those pesky "consent" concepts, so...

Speaking of, Ezra and Aria can just go kindly fuck off. The show is trying to get Ezra to be all sorry about all the shit he pulled so we can get behind Aria trying to keep him out of jail (for something he is 100% guilty of) and I'm not buying it.

Honestly, beyond those stories, I did like the episode pretty well (Mona and Emily were fun, and even Caleb and Hannah were alight) but the issues just took over  the whole episode.

Have I mentioned how few fucks I give about Ezria? Because there could not be fewer fucks in existence.

[Chinspinner]

21 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

*Snip* Of course, this show has not really understood those pesky "consent" concepts, so...*Snip*

Regardless of the plot du jour, or how ridiculous and unintentionally comical this show gets, I always find a slightly uncomfortable shadow hanging over it, and this is why.

Serious issues are dealt with as silly little curiosities, or McGuffins to drag the show to the next plot-point, and they are never given the weight or significance they deserve. In fact, the writers seem entirely tone-deaf and deal with these issues in an entirely inappropriate manner; the defence of statutory rape (or at least abuse of a position of power) in a show aimed at a mainly female teen demographic (at the time) is something that left me gob-smacked in Season 1; I literally could not believe what I was watching... then we went onto the transsexual reveal, the non-consensual impregnation, and (as you stated) "rape by fraud" plot lines. And they all seem to be treated as quirky little twists to "ooh and aah" at. 

It gives the entire show an icky veneer.    

Edited June 7, 2017 by Chinspinner

[mac123x]

3 hours ago, Chinspinner said:

I must admit that I am really struggling to sit through these final episodes.

Agreed.  That two hour finale episode is going to be a chore. 

17 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

Spencer is usually my favorite, but her swallowing every line that Mary spits at her is just pitiful. I'm just glad she didn't go off with her at the end and stuck with her actual parents.

I'm wondering if that final scene with Mary and Spencer is supposed to bring closure to Mary's story line?  It felt a lot like Paige's denouement, except for the twig snapping (which probably means Mary was kidnapped).  Nice work for Andrea Parker -- got her name in the cast credits for all of 7B and put in maybe half a day's work. 

 

10 minutes ago, Chinspinner said:

non-consensual impregnation

I really wish Emily and Mona had gone Medieval on the doctor with some thumb screws.  He performed an invasive procedure on an unconscious woman in a mental hospital.   Ali should be able to recoup her lost Carasimi money by suing him and the hospital into oblivion.

[Chaos Theory]

5 hours ago, Peanut6711 said:

I think Caleb has already outlived any possible hero status. He's definitely in douchebag territory. 

I am not sure I would call Caleb a douchebag.  He fell in love with Spencer for a brief time but ultimately his heart belonged to Hanna.  The proposal was ill timed but I thought heartfelt.  If anything I think Caleb had remained the character closest to a real person.  Imperfect but ultimately with his heart in the right place.

[WhosThatGirl]

The thing is, the show has never been anything but True Love forever with Ezra and Aria. It bugs me so much. When Arias parents found out, the show made them seem evil and horrible for being concerned and I know Bryon doesn't really have room to talk but I outright cheered at his reactions to the whole thing. But then they had Ella somehow be okay with it-the hell?- and then that portion of the bad romance of Ezra and Aria was done. And then we find out that he pretty much "picked" her to gain info for a book he was writing on her (not really) "dead" friend. Seriously. But then he gets shot and everyone is all like that negates his stalker motI've, Aria you should totally get back with him. Huh? I think Aria and Ezra is at the top of the most dysfunctional relationships on this show. But none of them are good. Although sadly.. Toby since he's been MIA because of Youvnnes death is looking like a stand up guy. Maybe the only one now.

I don't know how I feel about Hanna and Caleb. I don't like them anymore but I knew they would always probably be endgame. I found it laughable that people thought Spencer and Caleb were endgame. I just didn't expect for all the characters to be ruined by the execution. They could have done better.  I wish however this wedding would overtake Ezra and Aria.

I liked the scene with Mary and Spencer and Mary acknowledged that veronica is Spencer's mother. Veronica is an injured party in this situation and yet raised Spencer. I've seriously wanted to slap Spencer for almost every episode this season for the way Spencer talked to her.

I have no sympathy for Aria in this whole thing. I really hope the promo was not misleading with Spencer's "I'm out!" To her. Please please please. I know whatever comeuppance Aria is going to get will be short but SOMETHING, please!

[Snow Fairy]

It bothers me that Emily is all in a family-mode with Ali, but not really interested in finding out who the baby's father is. It should be a priority for her to find out - AD planned all of it,  the father may show up, maybe want to take the baby. All sort of Rosewood-weird plots can happen with that.

But no, she spends time preparing the nursery, thinking about the pretty future, like that would ever happen with AD

[Jack Shaftoe]

Spencer is so stupid now - "Mary didn't do it, you guys. How do I know? She told me." Head, meet desk. It doesn't help that Mary being Spencer's mother is quite possibly the most contrived plot in a show full of them, I just can't take seriously any of Spencer's family drama this season because the premise is complete nonsense.

Wait, did Ashley move out of Rosewood for a while? I honestly don't remember when we had previously seen her and Caleb and Hanna acted like they hadn't seen her in some time. How can she be the hotel manager if she isn't living in Rosewood? Am I missing something or this is just another plot hole?

And Caleb, you really had to ask Ashley whether she would drink wine? Come on!

How the hell did Mona find that fertility doctor (who looked not a day older than 20, by the way)? I mean, exactly what clues could have led her to him even though she apparently didn't know how the guy was paid? Why bother posing as a couple? The whole thing was stupid. And, as I mentioned before the episode was aired, I am so tired of Mona being the only one with a functioning brain. And I am surprised that AD didn't just fertilize and implant the egg himself since he can do just about anything else.

Caleb and Ezra talking about weddings was so corny that it immediately brought to mind 12 year writing their first fanfiction and thinking it's awesome even though no human being talks like their characters. The callback to the season 1 tent scene only made me think how much better the show was back then.

Quote

Oh, wait, that's not really the right way to describe that event, I think that would be "rape by fraud", this thing that other people might think is gross and a pretty big deal. Look, I'm not saying Peter is a good guy by any means, but this one really isn't on him.

Yes, Peter is a great big jerk but impersonating your twin to have sex with someone is really not okay, Spencer should be bothered at least a little bit by that.

Quote

I really wish Emily and Mona had gone Medieval on the doctor with some thumb screws.  He performed an invasive procedure on an unconscious woman in a mental hospital.   Ali should be able to recoup her lost Carasimi money by suing him and the hospital into oblivion.

Maybe she will... if Emily ever bother to inform her about the good doctor. But yes, why didn't they report the bastard to the police? Morons.

Edited June 7, 2017 by Jack Shaftoe

[Peanut6711]

3 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

I am not sure I would call Caleb a douchebag.  He fell in love with Spencer for a brief time but ultimately his heart belonged to Hanna.  The proposal was ill timed but I thought heartfelt.  If anything I think Caleb had remained the character closest to a real person.  Imperfect but ultimately with his heart in the right place.

The way both Hannah and Caleb have ping-ponged from each other to other lovers (and another fiance for Hannah) and then back to each other again and engaged in only a few weeks, it's impossible for me to see either of them as having their hearts in the right place.  Add in Hannah's post traumatic stress and all the AD crap hanging over their heads and they just seem like lonely, lost, and confused young adults who are clinging to each other for the wrong reasons. Heck, neither of them have their own places (mooching off Lucas doesn't count) or established employment. Hannah's even driving Lucas's car and yet last week she thought it would be a good idea for her and Caleb to have a baby! I guess she'll expect Lucas to furnish the car seats for his vehicle next.  Though I know it won't happen, I'd be more impressed if one or both of them did the mature thing and took a step back from any relationship until they could get their lives in the right place first. 

Edited June 7, 2017 by Peanut6711

[Froippi]

you know how fast this wedding is happening it makes Ezria look healthy a bit since they won't get married tell after the time jump which is a 1 year time jump not that i would call any of these relationships healthy in Rosewood but you get what i mean i almost felt like Caleb is doing this cause of what Ezra said lol

[SadieT]

5 hours ago, mac123x said:

I really wish Emily and Mona had gone Medieval on the doctor with some thumb screws.  He performed an invasive procedure on an unconscious woman in a mental hospital.   Ali should be able to recoup her lost Carasimi money by suing him and the hospital into oblivion.

Yeah Emily was a lot calmer than I thought she'd be considering she was confronting the man who sexually assaulted Alison. I know A.D. orchestrated the whole thing but this man actually committed the act of penetrating Alison with an instrument without her consent while she was strapped to a bed, and Mona and Emily just give him a bit of an attitude, threaten him and then leave. How about actually reporting him so he can't do it to someone else when he needs the money because what he did wasn't just an ethics violation that'll cost him his license, it was an actual crime.   

4 hours ago, Snow Fairy said:

It bothers me that Emily is all in a family-mode with Ali, but not really interested in finding out who the baby's father is. It should be a priority for her to find out - AD planned all of it,  the father may show up, maybe want to take the baby. All sort of Rosewood-weird plots can happen with that.

But no, she spends time preparing the nursery, thinking about the pretty future, like that would ever happen with AD

I don't think Emily wants to think about the other half of the equation. She's definitely living in a bit of a fantasy land where she gets to raise a baby with the girl she had a crush on when she was 14, but I'm surprised they're both not more worried about A.D. taking this child from them when it's born. Like obviously A.D. wants it born because they planned it and also made sure Alison would keep it by revealing the eggs to be Emily's, so it definitely seems like AD has a vested interest in the baby and that it's not simply about messing Alison and Emily.

5 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

I think that would be "rape by fraud", this thing that other people might think is gross and a pretty big deal. Look, I'm not saying Peter is a good guy by any means, but this one really isn't on him. And he, for all his faults, love Spencer, and did what he did for what he really did seem to think were good reasons. Of course, this show has not really understood those pesky "consent" concepts, so...

Yeah rape by fraud is definitely a real crime and usually includes something specifically about impersonation, which is what happened here. Although I'm not sure if Pennsylvania specifically has a law on the books currently, but other states do. Not that it matters, it's still wrong yet no one seems bothered by it. But this show has always had a weirdly dismissive attitude towards rape. 

[marinaalexis]

Oh, and I forgot to mention how much Emily annoyed me in this episode. Her whole attitude in that scene with the doctor (Dr. Hammond?) was so dismissive and uninterested. This is the man who used her eggs to impregnate Ali, and she couldn't seem to care less until Mona said something about Alison Rollins, and then suddenly "IT'S ALISON DILAURENTIS." 

I was hoping she would tone down the Ali obsession now that they're actually together, but nope, it seems like it's worse than ever. 

[WhosThatGirl]

All of the liars this season are getting on my nerves. 

[jewel21]

10 hours ago, Writing Wrongs said:

I love Moana. The rest was meh.

I thought VideoAria sounded like Sydney.

I keep thinking she sounds like and sort of resembles Paige. Like Paige is superimposed over Aria. It's weird.

[ringwaldoeuvre]

Long-time lurker, first-time poster in any forum. Not sure what's compelling me to jump into the PLL conversation with three episodes left other than I have felt a lot of feelings about this show, historically, and you all seem like a fun bunch and why the heck not. So. Hello!

I thought I'd just be repetitive and a voice in the choir on Ezra's general awfulness, so it might not be worth mentioning, but the episode actually gave us new grist for the mill. When he said "I truly believe that we are stronger for having weathered those storms. Don't you?" I said "oh you can fuck right off you manipulative, predatory shithead" in such a tone that I had to assure my roommate in the other room I was not talking about him. There's so much to unpack. That statement implies a few fucked up things: (1) the "we" makes it seem like it is something they are both complicit in, not a thing that he, a grown-ass person, did to her, a sophomore in high school; (2) she somehow shares the burden of making sure that their relationship survive, and their relationship is more important than her own agency; (3) "storms" is one way to downplay stalking and seducing a high school sophomore, I guess; and finally, (4) trying to manipulate her back into being cool with his conduct. This fucking guy.

My opinions on Aria have been complicated throughout the series, but when I realized she was going along with A.D. because it was all about Ezra, then I am back to being done with her nonsense. In general, I think the Ezria stuff completely suffocated the development of a character that could have been so much more. We get glimpses, especially when Ezra is not around and Aria is engaged in solving the mystery with any of the other liars, such as her recent outing with Emily tailing Sydney, which it makes it that much more disappointing.

While the Mona ex Machina might be old at this point: don't care. Love me some Mona and happy to have some progress toward answers about anything, even if Mona pulls them out of a carpet bag. I won't ask questions. The writers know it, the audience knows it, and we're all on board. Just put Mona on the screen reading (or maybe singing!) the phone book and blurting out information every once in a while, and we've got ourselves a spin-off. 

Speaking of singing, while it was so boss seeing Ezra getting the shit kicked out of him and Veronica speaking for all of us in the dream, it's a shame Lucy Hale didn't get to sing with Janel Parrish! A duet of "Under Pressure" would have been topical. Or "Islands In the Stream," for funsies.

Haleb is...Haleb. Shrug emoji. You've all covered Caleb's transformation into an asshole. Moving on.

Alison not being in episodes is palpably better. You can almost feel the episode not being weighed down by having to deal with the Emison baby (at least, not on screen) or any of her drama. In general, put me in the camp of wishing she's stayed dead or they didn't bring her back and give her a personality transplant. I think Sasha's great, and it really shows when they give her something real to work with. In real life, sure, anyone would be in her state or worse. In a TV show, it's exhausting and boring.

I can't really bring myself to follow the Hastings family tree foolishness, such that I don't think I've even caught everything that they supposedly revealed. I will always love any scene with Spencer and Troian is the shit, I just think the Mary Drake stuff is whack.

I can't immediately recall a scene in which I genuinely liked Emily, at least not in a long while. But may the fates guide Emily toward a future where she is not pressuring people to have babies they clearly don't want to have, and where she may endeavor to deserve the opportunity to pretend to be Mona's main squeeze.

Edited June 8, 2017 by ringwaldoeuvre

[Froippi]

idk i keep people saying that Ezra speech as manipulative but i just did not see it that way the only reason he said what he said is he thought Aria was getting cold feet and he was losing her I actually heard people they got AD vibes from this again not sure how you get AD vibes from this scene either

this basically sums up my opinion of what Ezra said to Aria something i said on reddit:

I did not really read that much into this scene i guess i can kindy of see that but he does have a point of not being able to be trusted cause of the whole book thing also and Brides do get cold feet so he did have a point also and he is suppose to be the one person she can trust and he feels like he can't be trusted from Aria POV

sorry I didn't mean it that way its just so many people want it hard for him to be AD but I just can't see it he has work so hard to repair that relationship with Aria I just can't see him throwing it away again I could see him trying to protect her

plus if we were going to do Ezra A or AD that should of been done in Season 4 that time has sail

maybe he feels he does not have a right to ask about A or AD since what happen with Nicole and he has been trying to make things right with the Nicole situation to

 

these our the reasons I think Ezra responded the way he did I could be wrong

Edited June 8, 2017 by Froippi

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Hanna, haven't you ever watched any cop shows? When the police come to your door and say, "Can I come in?" you always say NO! If they ask again, tell them they need a warrant! Gawd. I learned that just from watching Law & Order reruns.

I don't know why Fury was so hung up on the fact that Caleb has his own place but happened to spend the night with his girlfriend. Lots of people do that. I mean, HELLO, Fury spent the night in Spencer's after they fucked but I guess that wasn't suspicious since he ran out of the barn without actually using the shower.

Mary can STFU. She has the fucking gall to tell Spencer, "How sad that it's me you're frightened of." Uh, lady, you just hid in the backseat of her car and then put your gloved hand over her mouth. In other words, you just scared the shit out of her and now you're acting surprised that she's afraid of you?

I can't decide who's worse: Ezra or Aria. I just could not with Ezra telling Aria, "Maybe there's some part of you that has never forgiven me for taking advantage of you and your friends for the sake of a book." Um, "taking advantage"? How about false pretenses, stalking, and invading their privacy all in the hopes of rising out of obscurity to become a bestselling author? As for his bull shit about how they're stronger because of going through that, NO. That is the manipulative abuser's way of saying, "It's actually a GOOD thing that I violated your trust! Don't you see that now?"

Also hilarious was Spencer asking Fury, "When did we go from dating to stalking?" If only she had referred him to Ezra for valuable tips (although to be fair, Ezra went from stalking to dating and back to stalking).

The three best things about Aria's dream: Mona singing Jailhouse Rock, various people beating up Ezra, and Veronica telling Aria what a selfish little bitch she is. The worst thing about Aria's dream is that it reminded me of an interview from waaaaaay back in 2011 when Marlene said that they were considering doing a Black Swan ballet episode with some singing AND IT NEVER HAPPENED. No, Melissa dressing up as the Black Swan at a masquerade ball does not count.

There are only three episodes left and we still don't know who killed Charlotte or Sara. And we also don't know how Wrollins really died (since we know he survived Hanna hitting him with a car). I suppose they will just mention all of that information in the last five minutes of the series finale.

[Chinspinner]

17 minutes ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

*snip*

There are only three episodes left and we still don't know who killed Charlotte or Sara. And we also don't know how Wrollins really died (since we know he survived Hanna hitting him with a car). I suppose they will just mention all of that information in the last five minutes of the series finale.

Given how much filler and tedium we've had so far, they really should have taken each of the outstanding mysteries and woven a plot around them that required detective work on behalf of the liars. This would have allowed the Liar's to be proactive and, as a result, compelling to watch, and it would have been an interesting about turn whereby the Liars became the hunters, and AD the hunted. This would have given the entire show an arc whereby the Liars grew stronger and more capable as a result of their hardship.

But that would have been too much work for the incompetent and lazy writers, so they just wrote a load of random and irrelevant crap. The Liars, are ineffectual and reactive, and as a result, dull. Then they'll use a mixture of retcon and deus ex machina to reveal all the answers in the end, whether they make sense or not.

Edited June 8, 2017 by Chinspinner

[SadieT]

20 minutes ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

There are only three episodes left and we still don't know who killed Charlotte or Sara. And we also don't know how Wrollins really died (since we know he survived Hanna hitting him with a car). I suppose they will just mention all of that information in the last five minutes of the series finale.

Noel killed Sara Harvey. Jenna tells Fury that's why she bought the gun, because she was afraid of him. I think Marlene might have even confirmed it on twitter. 

I'm pretty sure Rollins really did die when Hanna hit him with the car. I think AD was just taunting the girls and making them think he was still alive to goad them into digging up his grave for confirmation, which Hanna and Spencer do because they're stupid and they find his rotting corpse right where they left it. AD of course records them doing this and sends them the incriminating video in 7x11 to threaten them into playing the game. 

We probably won't find out who killed Charlotte until the finale, or possible the episode before. My money's on Mona. 

[Chinspinner]

Just now, SadieT said:

Noel killed Sara Harvey. Jenna tells Fury that's why she bought the gun, because she was afraid of him. I think Marlene might have even confirmed it on twitter. 

I'm pretty sure Rollins really did die when Hanna hit him with the car. I think AD was just taunting the girls and making them think he was still alive to goad them into digging up his grave for confirmation, which Hanna and Spencer do because they're stupid and they find his rotting corpse right where they left it. AD of course records them doing this and sends them the incriminating video in 7x11 to threaten them into playing the game. 

We probably won't find out who killed Charlotte until the finale, or possible the episode before. My money's on Mona. 

I pay this show so little attention at the moment that I missed/ instantly forgot about most of this. Or maybe the actual plot just gets lost in all the red-herrings, dropped plots and nonsense swirling around it.

[tennisgurl]

Is it me, or does someone on this show have serious Daddy Issues? Almost all of the Liars have dads that range from assholes with some redeeming qualities (Peter and Byron) to Hannah's useless asshole of a dad, to Allison's dad who was such a dick that he basically started all of this. I'm sure I'm forgetting someone, but the only father I can think that was actually a decent person was Emily's dad, who we hardly got to see because he was in the service, so we didn't get to know him very well beyond being a nice guy who supports Emily. So, of course, he gets killed off-screen. Shocking. Granted, most of the moms on this show aren't a whole lot better at parenting, but they tend to be more generally sympathetic.

Is Joss Whedon secretly involved in this show!?!

[Chinspinner]

6 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

Is it me, or does someone on this show have serious Daddy Issues? Almost all of the Liars have dads that range from assholes with some redeeming qualities (Peter and Byron) to Hannah's useless asshole of a dad, to Allison's dad who was such a dick that he basically started all of this. I'm sure I'm forgetting someone, but the only father I can think that was actually a decent person was Emily's dad, who we hardly got to see because he was in the service, so we didn't get to know him very well beyond being a nice guy who supports Emily. So, of course, he gets killed off-screen. Shocking. Granted, most of the moms on this show aren't a whole lot better at parenting, but they tend to be more generally sympathetic.

Is Joss Whedon secretly involved in this show!?!

I think they have "people" issues. I can barely think of a single sympathetic character. 

[Jack Shaftoe]

Come to think of it, the notion of Aria being so close to reporting Ezra to the authorities is complete and utter nonsense. She has never shown even the slightest indication that she sees him as a sexual predator - not even when he told her how obsessed he was with 14 year old Alison, IIRC. And even she did it at some point, she isn't stupid enough to not destroy this report in order to protect her precious Ezra. Not to mention the whole thing is ridiculously pointless since I am sure that AD could have found plenty of evidence for Aria's precious and not so legal relationship without pulling this report out of some scriptwriter's ass.

[mercfan3]

Gonna post the vastly unpopular opinion here..I get why Aria is doing what she's doing. I hate Ezra too. And I think he's a disgusting piece of crap who even said a cringe worthy "I think me raping you and stalking your friends made us stronger.." But Aria is of age now, and She does love him. She's not picking Ezra over her friends. She's picking destroying baby toys and dropping a phone - where the truth is told - into Spencer's house, over Ezra going to jail. Yes, she could have told Ezra what is going on (and her friends), but that doesn't change A.D. having papers to file against Ezra. If she was picking her friend's going to jail over Ezra's hurt feelings..that would be one thing. IMO, it's a situation rather than person thing. 

I've always loved Hannah and Caleb. My head cannon is simply that Caleb cares for Spencer as a friend, and was attracted to her, and has chemistry with her...I really wish they had done a friends with benefit situation there, but they didn't..and they made all three characters look worse in the process. That being said, as far as characterization goes, IMO..Hannah and Caleb bring out the best in each other. He's far more of a "fifth liar" than Allison is. I know people don't like that he got upset at Hannah picking her job over him, but he's apologized for that..and that is a problem that all couples run into. At the end of the day, Caleb and Hannah are the most "good" to me. They make mistakes. They have their bad qualities..but they're good people.

I'm going to be willing to bet that Mona has gotten obsessed with the game, but she's not the one running it. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

19 hours ago, Chinspinner said:

Given how much filler and tedium we've had so far, they really should have taken each of the outstanding mysteries and woven a plot around them that required detective work on behalf of the liars. This would have allowed the Liar's to be proactive and, as a result, compelling to watch, and it would have been an interesting about turn whereby the Liars became the hunters, and AD the hunted. This would have given the entire show an arc whereby the Liars grew stronger and more capable as a result of their hardship.

But that would have been too much work for the incompetent and lazy writers, so they just wrote a load of random and irrelevant crap. The Liars, are ineffectual and reactive, and as a result, dull. Then they'll use a mixture of retcon and deus ex machina to reveal all the answers in the end, whether they make sense or not.

The ironic thing is that I just saw a promo for the final season of Orphan Black and one of the things they talked about was that because they knew this was their last season, they used each episode to answer questions and every episode is another piece of the puzzle. That's what you SHOULD do when you know in advance that this will be your last season but unfortunately I feel like PLL has not done that. Instead the supposed Season of Answers has just given us a bunch of filler, circling back to high school relationships, and "twists" we all called ages ago.

18 hours ago, SadieT said:

Noel killed Sara Harvey. Jenna tells Fury that's why she bought the gun, because she was afraid of him. I think Marlene might have even confirmed it on twitter. 

I'm pretty sure Rollins really did die when Hanna hit him with the car. I think AD was just taunting the girls and making them think he was still alive to goad them into digging up his grave for confirmation, which Hanna and Spencer do because they're stupid and they find his rotting corpse right where they left it. AD of course records them doing this and sends them the incriminating video in 7x11 to threaten them into playing the game. 

We probably won't find out who killed Charlotte until the finale, or possible the episode before. My money's on Mona. 

Now that you mention it, I do remember that Jenna claimed Noel killed Sara but (1) I had completely forgotten about that even though she just said it a few episodes ago (2) at the time, I was skeptical because Jenna is not the most honest or trustworthy person in Rosewood.

[Snow Fairy]

It would make more sense that AD is threatening Aria with the information about her being a killer (she did kill Shauna, didn't she?), than this plot with Ezra.

[Froippi]

32 minutes ago, Snow Fairy said:

It would make more sense that AD is threatening Aria with the information about her being a killer (she did kill Shauna, didn't she?), than this plot with Ezra.

yes she did do that to Shauna and Ezra cover for her suprised they ahve not brought that back up good point though

[Chinspinner]

I decided to re-watch this episode and make notes of the scenes, to see why I am finding it so difficult to sit through (yes, I was that bored). Obviously, what follows is a blow-by-blow account of the show you have watched, so might be a long read, if so, skip to the end.

1.       It opens with Aria and Ezra at a dance class and more abusive relationship angst. Then evil Aria calls and announces a huge retcon (as @Jack Shaftoe identified), which suggests Aria was going to report Ezra for grooming. This never happened.

2.       Policeman Whoever, arrives at Hanna’s. This exchange furthers the plot, in that Hanna establishes a link between Caleb and the security system that went down when receipts were destroyed. Of course, it only furthers the plot in the most meandering and distant way, since the receipt is nothing more than a very time-limited McGuffin that has very little relevance to the central plot.

3.       Mona and the Liars stand around the game. They are all ineffectual and inept, and making distressed and furtive glances in response to the mildest of rebukes from Mona, and that’s about it. This scene is a waste of time and achieves nothing.

4.       Hanna’s mother returns with no explanation as to where she’s been, maybe working on other shows? This is just a bit of scene-setting for a later scene and serves no other purpose.

5.       Aria plants the phone. She arrived to deliver some take-out, and then left, and no-one suspects her; why not? It would not be the first time the Liars have worked against each other at A’s behest. The recorded phone-call reveals nothing of any import or relevance, plot-wise, just more noise and angst.  The only sensible suggestion in the entire show is made by Spencer’s mum, when she intends to call the Police, but of course she is prevented from doing so by the same ephemeral and insubstantial threat that prevents all sensible decisions in this show. This scene is a repetition of old plot points and achieves nothing.

6.       Mona has discovered the name of the doctor who illegally implanted eggs in Ali, and reveals this to Emily. Of course, they call the Police… no, they pretend to be a couple and make an appointment to visit him. Why? This approach achieves nothing, and was a waste of time.

7.       Hanna and Caleb repeat previous plot-points for no reason. Ezra arrives with more tedious angst.

8.       A park ranger reveals to Hanna that some spades were taken. The only purpose of this scene is to use Mona once again as a red-herring, by revealing the spades in her apartment. It is mind-numbingly dumb.

9.       More Aria and Ezra angst, in which Ezra bemoans being a sexual predator and groomer of children in the most comedically under-played manner.   

10.   Policeman what’s-his-name follows Spencer, to once again repeat plot points that have already been covered. The hilarious jump-scare with the twin happens, and that Batman voice, I laughed again when I saw it. Cue flash-backs and a rehash of old plot points.

At this point, almost two-thirds of the way through the episode, I got bored. Looking back at the scenes, only one of them furthered the plot, and even then, in a perpendicular and remote fashion. It furthered an off-shoot of an off-shoot of the plot, which was more aligned with a McGuffin-led foray around the garden, rather than a straight path towards the resolution of the show.  

In only one of these scenes, did anyone act proactively, and then in entirely the wrong direction.

The rest of the near half-hour that I sat through was just a rehash of old-plot points and repetition; just people talking about things they have already talked about over and over. This show really seems to lack direction and purpose, which is amazing at this late stage.

Sorry for the over-long post.  

Edited June 9, 2017 by Chinspinner

[ottoDbusdriver]

On 6/6/2017 at 9:24 PM, Kaboom 2.0 said:

God bless Mona, love that she gets shit DONE. Someone has to! 

And she looks fabulous while getting shit done -- she looked stunning in that red outfit.

On 6/6/2017 at 9:42 PM, marinaalexis said:

Did not miss Alison whatsoever. Her absence really reminds me of how much she brings the show down for me. 

.........

The musical sequence was...not what I expected. Good singing (of course), but I think I would have liked it better if it hadn't been in black and white, and if they'd calmed down with the special effects. I could barely see what was going on. Veronica's line to Aria was savage as hell, though, and made it all worth it.

Alison was not missed at all.  Considering that she is a lead character this season, and even included in the intro by the casket, Alison has been conveniently missing during episodes of 7B.  Funny how Aria, Spencer, Hanna or Emily never take day trips and are absent from complete episodes.

And the musical dream sequence was just so random ..... though I did enjoy watching Ezra get the beating he deserves.

Why were the Hastings packing up to move to Harrisburg ?  Didn't Mrs. Hastings win the State Senate seat 5 years ago, and only now were they deciding to move ?

[mac123x]

Listening to the Bro's ridiculously detailed recap:  They noticed that, in the recording of Peter and Mary, Peter accused Mary of burying Jessica in the Hastings' back yard, and Mary responds with "I didn't have a choice".  Seems like she's confirming that she buried Jessica.  This contradicts 6.10 where Charlotte says she buried Jessica.  So just how much of that episode is going to be retconned?

7 hours ago, Snow Fairy said:

It would make more sense that AD is threatening Aria with the information about her being a killer (she did kill Shauna, didn't she?), than this plot with Ezra.

That would have made more sense, though I'm not sure what sort of documentation AD would have of that.  Jessica couldn't have had any pictures or other proof of that as she was dead by then.

3 hours ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

Why were the Hastings packing up to move to Harrisburg ?  Didn't Mrs. Hastings win the State Senate seat 5 years ago, and only now were they deciding to move ?

She won the election after the time jump, so it hasn't been 5 years, just however much time has passed in season 7.  As Rosewood exists in some temporal anomaly, we can't be sure how much time that means.

I wonder why they're bothering to move to the capital anyway - most state legislature positions are part time jobs.

[Perfect Xero]

1 hour ago, mac123x said:

Listening to the Bro's ridiculously detailed recap:  They noticed that, in the recording of Peter and Mary, Peter accused Mary of burying Jessica in the Hastings' back yard, and Mary responds with "I didn't have a choice".  Seems like she's confirming that she buried Jessica.  This contradicts 6.10 where Charlotte says she buried Jessica.  So just how much of that episode is going to be retconned?

It's possible that she was just taking the blame with Peter to keep Charlotte's involvement hidden.

[Jack Shaftoe]

Quote

Listening to the Bro's ridiculously detailed recap:  They noticed that, in the recording of Peter and Mary, Peter accused Mary of burying Jessica in the Hastings' back yard, and Mary responds with "I didn't have a choice".  Seems like she's confirming that she buried Jessica.  This contradicts 6.10 where Charlotte says she buried Jessica.  So just how much of that episode is going to be retconned?

For a second I thought the show was trying to mislead us subtly for a change and this was actually Peter and Jessica talking about Jessica burying Alison then I realized that expecting such subtlety from PLL is like expecting pigs to fly.

[rogvortex58]

That flashback. Peter Hastings, with both his baby mommas in the same room. I'm surprised a threesome didn't occur. lol

Edited June 9, 2017 by rogvortex58

[ottoDbusdriver]

12 hours ago, mac123x said:

She won the election after the time jump, so it hasn't been 5 years, just however much time has passed in season 7.  As Rosewood exists in some temporal anomaly, we can't be sure how much time that means.

I wonder why they're bothering to move to the capital anyway - most state legislature positions are part time jobs.

It only seems like it's been 5 years because this entire season has just ..... dragged .... on.

[Free]

On ‎6‎/‎7‎/‎2017 at 8:03 AM, Jeffurry said:

I feel like with this show they first find out which non-lead actors (parents, Mona, Lucas, Jenna, etc.) are available in a given week and then they write them into the plot. This process starts anew every week.

Yup, just pointless red herrings to fill out most of the season.

On ‎6‎/‎7‎/‎2017 at 10:01 PM, WhosThatGirl said:

All of the liars this season are getting on my nerves. 

They are, the time skip only amplified the problems the series already had and the show went even further prioritizing shipping over friendship.  The storylines are uninteresting and there's no interesting A character to counteract this like in the past seasons.

[CurlyATX]

Maybe Caleb proposed to Hannah so that they couldn't testify against each other in court.    Mona is trying to solve this whole case to save her OTP, Hannah.  Mona can't be AD- she may have once ran Hannah over with her car, but I don't think Mona would actually torture Hannah, ever.  Plus, I think she'd be a bigger bitch to Aria given how things went down with Mona/Mike.

These last episodes are so boring... I only can listen to the Bros Watch PLL recaps and snicker along.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

17 hours ago, CurlyATX said:

Maybe Caleb proposed to Hannah so that they couldn't testify against each other in court.   

Spousal privilege only applies to anything they tell each other or learn about after they are married.

[AftermathTV]

13 minutes ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Spousal privilege only applies to anything they tell each other or learn about after they are married.

And yet Caleb mentioned it tonight, so someone didn't do the research