S05.E01: EscApe from New York

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Moments after where the season four finale left off, Aria and the Liars are reeling from Ezra’s shooting at the hands of “A.” The five girls quickly realize that as the one person who truly knows A’s identity, Ezra is in grave danger. While Aria stands watch over Ezra at the hospital, Alison and the PLLs lay a trap to finally flush out “A” but are shocked by who is ensnared. Meanwhile, Holbrook steps up his efforts to find the girls and puts the Hastings family on alert. And as news of Alison’s resurrection spreads, Mona is not pleased.

 

Canadian promo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwvVGjbUjq8

 

Australian promo:

 

Preview clips:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcwDptm7CW4

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttI0zxnqH7A

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHpse8hoQdg

[emma675]

I am sadly, ridiculously excited for this show to come back. I may need help.

[Cranberry]

Don't worry, @emma675 -- this forum will be your support group.

 

At the end of every season I think I don't really care anymore, and then the beginning of every new season pulls me right back in.

[Bort]

I'm really looking forward to lots of Ali this season. I mean, yeah, she's a turd, but Sasha plays her so well. And I'm guessing that the reasoning behind the resurrection is partly from her finally being 18 and available full-time?

[scarletregina]

I definitely need to watch that again, because I have no idea what just happened - other than we finally met MonA's A-team.

[mjgchick]

Jesus what a terrible season opening. How do the girls not see Ali gas lighting that terrible Shana? That actress made me appreciate Shay and Keegan's terrible acting. Yikes.

Ali is so going to hate Spencer as the Liars alpha leader isn't she?

Oh look Aria finally does something. Even though she clearly did it for stupid Ezra who is still wrong about A. He bought all those stupid camera's and only got Shana? He never noticed Melissa creating a Justice League against Ali? He'll be back to being useless soon.

Also I'll totally cheer Toby on if he joins this A team with Melissa and Co.

Allison has half of America committing crimes for her. She needs to teach this class.

[kissedbyarose]

This episode was exactly what I thought it would be: confusing with half assed plots and ideas.

Shana is A? Really? I'm sure someone will plot out all the ways that doesn't make sense but right now I'm calling bull.

LOL @ that fake ass NYC.

I really don't know why I can't quit this show but I'll be here until the bitter end.

Edited June 11, 2014 by kissedbyarose

[Bort]

I liked for what it was: an intro. The preview for next week with Alison back in the fold looks to be more what I'm looking forward to.

Spencer was good for some laughs. Her incredulity that Ali read The Art of War, plus her very loud stomach. Nothing about Spencer is quiet, is it?

I also found it hilarious that Paige was about to peace out on Mona's Justice League (LOVE that nickname), saw Melissa walk in and her face was all, "oh HELL no, I'm not leaving now!"

[ottoDbusdriver]

That was pretty bad and made no sense in a lot of places.
-- the troop of fake 'A's in the park.  Does 'A' have these guys on standby wherever he/she goes, in order to show up in minutes when requested complete with a script of what to say and what to do and dressed appropriately for the occasion ?
-- where were the cops that were guarding the surgery entrance when Ezra went to the recovery room ?  For a guy who just got shot and the shooter is still on the loose, hospital security was pretty horrible.  Both Shauna and Aria strolled right into the recovery room uncontested.
-- 3 of the Liars spot what looks like 'A' in the hoodie at the hospital and all decide to sit down and read magazines. WTF ?  There is an attempted murderer on the loose and they feel the need to brush up on the latest news from 5 years ago (all magazines in waiting rooms seem to be that old).
-- the retcon of a Fitz family theater in NY to use as refuge, how convenient
-- Alison easily breaking into said theater, where the lights are always on and there are no alarms.
-- how old was Alison in that theater flashback -- 14/15 ?  She's been dead/missing for about two years, and that flashback occurred before that. That makes Fitz even creepier as a college guy dating a high school freshman.
-- Mona's Army of Darkness -- Alison's alive and now they are going to do what exactly, kill her to get their collective revenge ?

-- Alison has a sufficient stealth ninja skillset to remain undetected for 2 years, yet she wanders out on to the mean streets of Hollywood backlot/NYC once and she starts behaving like Aria (or was that part of the plan).

-- Apparently Alison didn't have a lot of free time while living in the shadows, blatantly missing pop culture references.  Oh noes !!!

Edited June 11, 2014 by ottoDbusdriver

[Danielle87]

As stupid as this show can be, I will always love it for the random laughs/chemisty between the girls. Hanna with that gun and Emily snatching it away? Hanna, never change.

[jjjmoss]

Wait, so A reveals from the 1st 4 seasons:
MonA. Yes, an actual for real reveal. +1
TobAy, but only "to help Spencer." +0.
Spencer HAstings, but only to try to figure out what was going on. +0.
LucAs, but only because Mona was blackmailing him, not b/c he had evil intentions. +0.
EzrA, but oh, he was only writing a book. +0.
Cece DrAke, but oh, she was just working for Ezra. +0

Am I missing anyone?

 

Dead people who've been in 10+ episodes, + points if A-related:

Ali: Nope, not dead. +0.

Garrett: Presumably killed by A. +1

Maya: Killed by random guy introduced for no reason. +0

Wilden: Killed by Cece apparently. +0

Ian: Presumably killed by A, I guess. +1

Jessica: Probably dead, likely killed by A. +1

Shana: Supposedly dead, I guess by Aria. +0

So up to 3.

 

So something big-ish with A only happens about once a year. How slow.

[mjgchick]

Peter was scary in his scenes with Melissa.

[RedmockingBird]

 

I also found it hilarious that Paige was about to peace out on Mona's Justice League (LOVE that nickname), saw Melissa walk in and her face was all, "oh HELL no, I'm not leaving now!"

I thought that bit was pretty funny! I was glad to see Paige acting like that to be honest. She's been beyond annoying and now at least she's using her head. 

 

I thought the bit where A is on top of the ambulance, and the flash mob in the park to be ridiculous. I mean really? REALLY? How many wacked out people did Alison piss off?

 

I found this episode to be quite laughable, and it never ceases to amaze me that the girls just casually leave all their crap behind them wherever they go. "Yeah, I'm constantly chased around and my stuff messed with, but i don't mind leaving my jacket, bag, cell just hanging about why I go run around a building for a few hours. Kay?"

[Sakura12]

Spencer was good for some laughs. Her incredulity that Ali read The Art of War.

I don't know why she'd be surprised, Ali's a freaking mastermind, she gets everyone else to do everything for her. She's a heinous bitch to her friends and they are falling all over themselves to protect her, including kill people. She makes them accessories or actually commit the crime so they won't betray her. It's brilliant. Dead or alive, they are hers. Ali and Jenna have some kind mutually assured destruction thing going on. I'm still choosing to believe that two people really fighting this war is the both of them. Forget about Caleb meeting Alison, I can't wait to see Jenna and Alison come face to face again. 

 

I refuse to believe Shana's A. She didn't even show up until much later. She's yet another decoy. Proving that Ezzzzzra is just as useless as he always was. I guess we're stuck with him, I wish they had the guts to kill him off. 

 

I did love Paige's about face when Melissa showed up at the I hate Alison club meeting. I'm glad that they are showing that not everyone is happy she's alive. She was a pretty terrible human being. 

 

I hate this show but I love the liars, so I have no idea what to do. 

[Dejajeva]

Daddy Hastings is creepy!

Torrey Devitto is so pretty. Too bad for you, Stefan.

[Bort]

I don't know why she'd be surprised, Ali's a freaking mastermind, she gets everyone else to do everything for her.

It's not so much that I really think Spencer was surprised, but my laugh is that Spencer tends to be kind of an elitist among the Liars when it comes to the "smart" things. She's gotten so used to hanging around Hanna, Aria and Emily, none of whom would probably even THINK of reading that book.

[Writing Wrongs]

This plot has become so convoluted, I can't keep it straight. It started off with who killed Alison and now..I don't know what the hell it's supposed to be about.

 

But I keep watching.

[Sakura12]

Yeah, I guess Spencer forgot that with Alison back she's not the smartest person in the room anymore. That's why I really enjoy it when Spencer interacts with Jenna too. Spencer is kind out of her league with the two master manipulators. They should just say that Ali and Jenna are playing an Art of War game, they are the Generals and they position their soldiers wherever they want them, to see who wins. 

[FAU]

Wait, so A reveals from the 1st 4 seasons:

MonA. Yes, an actual for real reveal. +1

TobAy, but only "to help Spencer." +0.

Spencer HAstings, but only to try to figure out what was going on. +0.

LucAs, but only because Mona was blackmailing him, not b/c he had evil intentions. +0.

EzrA, but oh, he was only writing a book. +0.

Cece DrAke, but oh, she was just working for Ezra. +0

Am I missing anyone?

 

Dead people who've been in 10+ episodes, + points if A-related:

Ali: Nope, not dead. +0.

Garrett: Presumably killed by A. +1

Maya: Killed by random guy introduced for no reason. +0

Wilden: Killed by Cece apparently. +0

Ian: Presumably killed by A, I guess. +1

Jessica: Probably dead, likely killed by A. +1

Shana: Supposedly dead, I guess by Aria. +0

So up to 3.

 

So something big-ish with A only happens about once a year. How slow.

 

2 more seasons of fake outs, red herrings, filler paddings, etc.

[mac123x]

Shana's another red herring.  No fucking way did she have time to do all the NYC shenanigans and bury Mrs. DiLaurentis back in Rosewood.

 

I speculated in the speculation thread that the reveal of Wilden's murderer would be pointless, and so it was.

 

What a stupid, stupid season premiere.

[mercfan3]

I can buy that Shauna is an A minion. But her reveal is anti-climactic. 

 

So for big Questions we've got 

1. Who tried to kill Ali

2. Who is big A? Or maybe the question is really is there a big A, or is this like the books where new As keep taking over. 

[FAU]

This plot has become so convoluted, I can't keep it straight. It started off with who killed Alison and now..I don't know what the hell it's supposed to be about.

 

But I keep watching.

 

I think it's about everyone messing with the Liars now, but I'm not sure.

[Spencer Hastings]

I'm going to be mad as hell if Shanna is Big A.  I could not think of anything more anticlimatic than that.  Can someone point me to the nearest tumblr that tells us how and why this isn't plausible?  Stupid.  That's the only word I can use to describe it. I knew she was ~shady!~ when she showed up at the hospital claiming that Ali sent her.  We didn't see Ali call you, homegirl.

 

I love how Paige was initially "Ain't nobody got time for that." during Mona's meeting until she saw Melissa walk in.  I could see her face change to "Well, I got a little bit of time."

[scarletregina]

I'm confused why Mona says "this changes everything" when she already knew Ali was alive. Is she just concerned about how Ali coming back will change her status in Rosewood?

[mjgchick]

I think The Justice League well Melissa and Paige any ways are in this to protect the Liars. I don't think Melissa wants to hurt her little sister. I also think Melissa and her ageless DILF thinks Olivia Benson killed the girl that was buried.

[DigitalCount]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
 

Oh man, this show is freaking comedy platinum.

[kat165]

Didn't Mona Initially help Alison to hide back in the beginning? Something we found out last season. And now suddenly Mona's all, let's get her. Makes no sense (not that this is the show to watch if you're looking for things to make sense). She had Ali at her mercy when she was helping her to hide.

 

Let's all pray that the actor who plays Ezra gets bored this season now that he's no longer the villian & decides to leave the show (again) cause it's the only way we're getting rid of Ezra.

[larapu2000]

I like that Holbrook's search on Fitz brought up fingerprints.  What crime did Ezra get printed for?  We all know he's not a registered sex offender.  Or maybe they just burn those lists in Rosewood.

[Cranberry]

I kind of love that Holbrook found out that Ezra Fitz's last name was Fitzgerald and that he was part of a rich family with like, five minutes of searching, yet Aria had been dating him for months (right? Who knows how time works on this show) and had no idea. Sure, the police database made things easier, but that stuff about the family's foundation and the theater (complete with photos of Ezra) was a simple Google search away.

 

I like that Mona has her own little army now. It doesn't make much sense, but I like it. 

 

Shana is not A. Shana was someone's pawn, if anything. I don't even consider that whole thing a reveal. I wasn't the least bit surprised when she came in holding a gun.

 

I'm in this show for the characters now. I like how the girls interact. I like that they still put each other above everything else. I like how they've evolved to be tougher and more confident -- how Spencer's realizing that she doesn't like the person she used to be, and how Aria will jump in and physically fight to save her friends, and how Emily won't let Ali "protect" her with lies anymore, and how Hanna won't trust Ali "just because" and will follow her to make sure that she's on the up and up. This stuff is good. The plot... the plot hasn't made sense in years.

[mjgchick]

I think Ali lied about Mona helping her. We only got Ali's POV with that stuff.

Did you guys hear how Ali kept asking Aria if she'd take Ezra back? It almost felt like she was trying to see if she still has a chance at Ezra. I just can't seem to trust Ali in anything she says. lol

[GaT]

What crap, this was just another nothing-really-happens-except-for-the-last-5-minutes episode, that's all we ever get. 

 

the troop of fake 'A's in the park.  Does 'A' have these guys on standby wherever he/she goes, in order to show up in minutes when requested complete with a script of what to say and what to do and dressed appropriately for the occasion ?

That was so ridiculous! And what was the point? I wish we had a clue as to what the end game of all of this is, A just does stuff, & we have no idea why.

 

Are they really going to drag this out for 2 more years? The liars are going to be 45 years old by the time this is done.

[Check Sanity]

I can buy that Shauna is an A minion. But her reveal is anti-climactic. 

 

So for big Questions we've got 

1. Who tried to kill Ali

2. Who is big A? Or maybe the question is really is there a big A, or is this like the books where new As keep taking over. 

 

I think you've hit the nail on the head with this comment. Especially #2. The only way this show works and lasts as long as it has is for the whole, new As keep taking over. We've already had Mona, and as for the others that have been revealed, they were doing Mona A like behaviour (the whole black hoodie and leather gloves and messages signed A). Though if I recall correctly, before the Ezra is A reveal there weren't  really any threatening texts or manipulation through A messages, which to me hinted that we were in transition and not dealing with an evil A. I like the theory mentioned up thread and that was hinted at this episode with the Art of War comments and Ali saying that Jenna was manipulating Shauna. The idea that most of what is going on is reaction upon reaction of a war between Jenna and Ali is intriguing. Likely there is at least one or two other wars going on too, the NAT Club age group was probably one, and we're just still getting ripples from that. There's likely also one going on between the Hastings and  the DiLaurientis'. 

 

Didn't Mona Initially help Alison to hide back in the beginning? Something we found out last season. And now suddenly Mona's all, let's get her. Makes no sense (not that this is the show to watch if you're looking for things to make sense). She had Ali at her mercy when she was helping her to hide.

 

By Ali's account yes Mona helped her, but really that "help" was so that Mona could move in and become Queen B. It's probably this same sort of self preservation idea that has her creating the Justice League, not to "get her" as in kill her, but to keep Ali down, power wise. 

In regards to the A-black hoodie flash mob in the park. My brain filled in the blanks that Shauna organized that probably through craigslist or something, and that no one or most of the people that participated in that didn't even know who the Liars were. Shauna was a step ahead in getting the girls separated from Aria, thus the whole Group text message "Follow the leader" (aka Ali). 

 

[Agent Dark]

Shana is clearly not A.  A started with the texts to Alison way before Shana ever got involved.  The first A text was in the Halloween Episode before Alison went missing; Shana got involved after Alison 'died' when Ali sent her old friend from Georgia (Shana) to investigate Jenna and Paige and see if they had any involvement in her 'death'.  Apparently Shana fell in love with/was manipulated by Jenna and turned against Ali.  And is now dead.  Shana loose thread closed.  

[lorikauai]

WTF Marlene King? Shana as A makes zero sense. Up until a week ago she was still helping Ali and getting her money. If she wanted vengeance for Jenna why didn't she just tell Ali she had the money, set up a meet, and bump her off then. It screams of an Ali set up to me. "Hey, Shana, pretend to be A and come after me. I'll make sure you get away." Shana's text to her minions: Follow the leader. Leader = Ali? This little drama played out on a stage after an Ali flashback where Ezra tells her she's an actress. Foreshadowing?

Edited June 11, 2014 by lorikauai

[mac123x]

Wasn't Shana attacked, knocked unconscious, then dumped in her car at the edge of town last year?  Did she assault herself? 

 

I think Mona's new team should be called "The Avengers".  Or, since they're a rag-tag bunch of misfits, "The Bad News A's"

 

I get the impression that Marlene King is excited to have a new toy (Alison in the main cast) and is so eager to play with it that she's sweeping some of this other stuff under the rug with "answers" that make little sense.  I expect dismissive answers when people start pointing out the discrepancies and massive plot holes.

Edited June 11, 2014 by mac123x

[Kaboom 2.0]

I don't care that this show makes no sense anymore, I just like watching most of the characters interact with each other for reasons. Plots and SLs make no damn sense and I couldn't care less. I'm riding this train til it derails in hell and will love every second of it especially if we still get the occasional glimpse of the scrumptious Noel Kahn.

 

I'm not a big fan of Ali, she is horrible, I do not feel sorry for her, I would have preferred if whoever hit her with the shovel had succeeded except that we wouldn't have this crazy train of a show if they had, but I do like how her renewed presence is already changing the Liars for better and worse. Ok and I may have laughed when she sprayed "A" in the face with pepper spray before the FlAsh Mob descended on them. She's no Alison from Orphan Black, lol.

 

Ah Mona, you devious little dear, I cannot help but like her. Who else would gather together Ali-haters now that she's alive and back? I would award a Displayed the Most Sense award in this ep to Paige for not just leaving Mona's Ali Haters Club but for going back in once she saw Melissa enter. It would have been awesome if there were so many Ali haters that Mona had to Skype the gathering to the haters that couldn't make it, live in other countries, etc.

Edited June 11, 2014 by Kaboom 2.0

[larapu2000]

especially if we still get the occasional glimpse of the scrumptious Noel Kahn

 

I hope they explore Noel Khan more this season (I insist on spelling it like Khan from Star Trek, just to amuse myself), because he's obviously a confidante of Ali's, but pursued Aria in Season 1 and went up against Fitz.  Was he doing all of that for Ali?  To protect her honor?  I think we need some shirtless scenes to resolve this part of the mystery.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

ITA that Spencer usually assumes she's the smartest person within a 17 mile radius, so of course she's shocked, SHOCKED I tell you, that Ali gets a Sun-Tzu reference but not a reality tv reference (never taking into account that Alison had time to read while she was hiding out but probably didn't always have access to cable tv).

 

But for someone so smart, Spencer thinks it's okay for them to call the police and the hospital with their regular cell phones? Thank goodness there's no record of stuff like that, right?

 

I kind of love that Mona gathered the I Hate Ali club. Wouldn't it be easier to just arrange a school wide assembly or town hall meeting since Ali was a bitch to everyone in Rosewood?

 

I kind of love that Holbrook found out that Ezra Fitz's last name was Fitzgerald and that he was part of a rich family with like, five minutes of searching, yet Aria had been dating him for months (right? Who knows how time works on this show) and had no idea. Sure, the police database made things easier, but that stuff about the family's foundation and the theater (complete with photos of Ezra) was a simple Google search away.

That totally cracked me up. Even now, Aria really only knows what Ezra has told her about himself. She should have googled him after one of his revelations/confessions.

 

When the paramedics brought Ezra into the hospital and one of them said he was in his mid-20s, I felt like they were sending me a secret message about how inappropriate it is for mid-20s Ezra to be dating a high school student. Then I remembered this is Marlene King we're talking about and it's twuuuuuuu wuuuuuuuv.

 

So Ezra gave Ali a key to his family's theater way back in the olden days and she never gave it back? And there's no alarm system or anything? Okay, that totally explains how she was able to let everyone in!

 

One thing I loved about Aria calling the theater the second time was that the girls got to experience what life was like before cell phones and caller ID. You have no idea who's on the other end so you have to take a chance and answer.

 

I really did not get Ali's explanation as to why Em had to keep Cece's participation in the Adventures of Red Coat a big secret. Knowing what she did makes Em an accessory to being a Cop Killer? Girl, please. The PLLs have already done community service for possession of a shovel! They know the consequences of breaking the law!

[Bort]

But for someone so smart, Spencer thinks it's okay for them to call the police and the hospital with their regular cell phones? Thank goodness there's no record of stuff like that, right?

Noel took all their phones and left them in Philadelphia (the police tracked them there last episode). They went and bought a few burn phones (presumably paying cash), there was no way to trace that.

[Shangrilala]

I like that Holbrook's search on Fitz brought up fingerprints.  What crime did Ezra get printed for?  We all know he's not a registered sex offender.  Or maybe they just burn those lists in Rosewood.

 

 

It's not uncommon to fingerprint people who work in K-12 education.  My prints are on file in the state of Maryland because my first job out of college was as an administrator at a private school. 

 

I can handle them using Shana as A because I never understood the purpose of her character and I don't think they knew what to do with her.  One of the reasons season 1 worked so well, aside from the fact that it was before all this nonsensical junk, was the fact that they revolved the story around the girls and so many of the plotlines took place in the context of the high school.  Once we started introducing random people, running off to different towns and cities, it lost its core.  If sending CeeCee to Paris and killing off Shana means that they can get back to the core concept that Ali was such an awful person to the other kids at Rosewood that they created the A-team to get revenge on the friends who blindly followed her and treated everybody else terribly as well, then I'm okay with that.  I'd rather watch the Rosewood A-team (I'm assuming that this is the a-team, or at least part of the a-team, that Mona referenced back in the seaon 1 finale).  I can also handle characters like Melissa, Jason and Garret because they, too, are so strongly tied to the original 4.

 

I realize we still have the bigger mystery at play, who didn't kill Ali, and I'm assuming it's the same person that killed Mrs. DiLaurentis.  But like I said, let's bring it back to Rosewood, and keep it in Rosewood. 

[apgold]

 

I realize we still have the bigger mystery at play, who didn't kill Ali, and I'm assuming it's the same person that killed Mrs. DiLaurentis.  But like I said, let's bring it back to Rosewood, and keep it in Rosewood.

 

Exactly, fake NY looked like Rosewood, except for more trash and more people in the street.  And what of Jessica's death?  I guess nobody knows she's been killed, including Ali.  How awful for Ali to return home to find her mother dead.

 

Lucas got a new haircut, I suppose it's supposed to make him look less dorky.  I thought he had moved away from Rosewood?

 

The "Fitzgerald" theater they used was beautiful, I'm assuming it was in LA.

[SilverLake0315]

It's not uncommon to fingerprint people who work in K-12 education.  My prints are on file in the state of Maryland because my first job out of college was as an administrator at a private school. 

 

I was going to say the same thing.  I worked as a teacher's assistant for a couple of years while I was in college and I had to have fingerprints on file before I could start.

[jjjmoss]

2. Who is big A? Or maybe the question is really is there a big A, or is this like the books where new As keep taking over. 

From what I understand though there are really only two main A's, which is exactly how the TV show has been set up. MonA for the first arc, then this A+ which may or may not be the same as the books' A+.

Edited June 11, 2014 by jjjmoss

[beetlesoda]

I fail to understand how someone as unstable as Mona is fit to lead any army, and Melissa is following her? When Mona was queen B I'm sure she was lovely to everyone at school, but I guess with Ali back she feels she has to keep her down someway. I wonder what they plan to do.

 

Lol at Shana being A or A related, nope not buying it

 

Damn it Alison you just got back and already you're lying but I think they did a good job with giving her reasons to lie but at the same time she's still keeping Emily from telling the truth to her friends but then again Alison probably wouldn't have if Emily didn't demand answers I don't even know anymore. I do like Alison but she's sketchy as hell and I love it. They're not making it easy for her and their not trying to get the audience to forget she's horrible by having her do something for the liars (i.e. Ezra getting shot so automatic redemption and forgiveness) but I did love the scene with her and Spencer being the only liars to know what book Spencer was referring to. I look forward to them bumping heads

 

At this point, especially with the news of two more seasons, I'm over the A thing we won't find out for two years. I'm just in it for the girls too

[jjjmoss]

I just realized that the Anti-Alison Army shows another example of "one of these things is not like the other" - we have Hanna's ex-BFF, Emily's ex-gf, Spencer's sister...and nobody for Aria because all her screentime for non-PLL business is for Ezra.

[KatWay]

The Rosewood police are seriously the most incompetent people on the planet. They let Cece escape and they are only now figuring out that Ezra Fitz is short for Fitzgerald? That guy has been involved with Aria and been on the fringe of a murder investigation for two years now! He was on that board of suspects! Nobody ever even tried to google him before???

No wonder they couldn't catch a criminal if their life depended on it.

 

Mona's Justice League is brilliant as was Paige's reaction to Melissa. I have this fantasy of a Alison/Jenna showdown with Melissa thrown in for good measure. 

 

I kind of would love it if all this A business was really just a tug and war between Ali and Jenna. They've been waging war on each other since the beginning and screw the collateral damage. They also might be the only ones I could buy as being the masterminds behind the incredibly unbelievable stuff that's been going on.

[GaT]

 

I get the impression that Marlene King is excited to have a new toy (Alison in the main cast) and is so eager to play with it that she's sweeping some of this other stuff under the rug with "answers" that make little sense.  I expect dismissive answers when people start pointing out the discrepancies and massive plot holes.

What else is new? LOL I can't remember when an "answer" on this show made sense, or when the fans didn't get dismissive responses when they pointed it out. The show isn't even trying anymore.

[lorikauai]

One thing I noticed is that before Ali was missing, Aria, Hanna, Emily, and Spencer didn't seem that close to each other. Not like they are now-since ALi has been missing. It seems like Ali had them be at arms length with each other and to me, because she knew each one of the other girls secrets and could use them to barter with. Because of this and when Ali went missing, the girls secrets all had to come out because "A" was going to tell them and the girls were finally able to be honest with each other. The scene where the girls were getting snacks and Ali looked left out just made me think she isn't sure where her place is with these girls anymore because she has nothing over them and they kind of have each other before they have Ali now. The only one I'm worried about is Emily. I still think she holds a torch for Ali and I don't like that.

I noticed that and think Ali will attempt to regain control over them again and break up that closeness. The first thing she did was isolate Emily (the weak link due to her crush on Ali) and tell her a secret that she has to keep from the other girls (although there is no logical reason why it needs to be a secret from the others). They have been reunited a few hours? And she's already playing her old games.

[FAU]

 

Wasn't Shana attacked, knocked unconscious, then dumped in her car at the edge of town last year?  Did she assault herself?

 

They are so dumb, so how many times are they going to keep saying that it's finally over?  There's at least 2 more seasons after this one.

[fantique]

Did anyone else think it was stupid for the liars to leave Shana there? It makes it so much more suspicious to runaway. They should just say there was an accident, say she is a deranged classmates and cite it as the reson why they were in NYC in the first place... I mean the girl did have a gun on her. And if they are not aware that it's now general knowledge that Ali is alive, then have her leave with one of them and have the others stay and give a statement. That was dumb.

 

Looking forward to see Alison back to be faced with the consequences of her actions. I don't know if I believe the remorse and despair she showed. @lorikauai, I agree with you. It feels like old tricks. That, coupled with the stage metaphor and the fact that Hanna mentioned that Ali was wrong; secrets are what breaks them apart, leads me to believe she is up to her old tricks but this time it will be harder to weave her web of lies. Everyone is weary of her and will be giving her major side eye.