PLL S5x04 “Thrown From the Ride”
First and foremost: Hanna’s new hair. I am not a fan. It looks like she flipped her hair upside down, squirted some black dye on her head, and let it run down. She definitely needs a new hair stylist.
Ali has been cooped up in her room the past few weeks and she is getting cabin fever like whoa. After some spring cleaning, she tells her dad she wants to go back to school and start living her life again. Mr. D. seems to go opposite direction, he wants Ali to move away and start over. You can’t really blame him. After losing Ali, then getting her back, and losing his soon to be ex-wife, Rosewood has got to hold a load of nasty memories for him. Ali eventually wins the debate, but is none too pleased her dad makes her go to a medical exam. You were “kidnapped” girl, of course they want to examine you!
Ali gets Hanna to accompany her to her medical exam, since Hanna seems to be the only one not avoiding her right now. Interesting all these girls wanted was for her to come home and now they’ve realized what a bad decision it was. Anyway, the good doctor (sadly not near as hot as say, Wren) examines her lungs, head wound, and a mysterious scar on her thigh? She lies about the cause to the doctor, saying she cut her leg on a rock.
Hanna of course, knows better and calls her out on it. Ali gets cryptic “Once you know something, you can’t unknow it.” I believe they call it forgetting, Ali. Which is what the girls are going to do trying to untangle all these lies you have them telling for you. There’s friendship and manipulation and she’s crossing the line between them.
Hanna continues her rebellious streak, by stealing a top that’s the total opposite of her signature It Girl style. I applaud a more badass look, but taking up the shoplifting habit isn’t going to make her feel less like the Cady to Ali’s Regina George. It takes her a few steps backward on the Hanna Growth Ladder. Learn from past mistakes, there isn’t another hot cocky cop for her mom to seduce for her.
Mona has already hit a few speed bumps in the form of reluctant minions. Lucas is having second thoughts until she tells him Ali is lying about being kidnapped. Later, Lucas checks in with Hanna (I miss that friendship, I wish Lucas hadn’t been swayed to the Dark Side). He asks her a few questions about Ali, sounds like he’s doing recon for Mona’s Army. Mona is busy trying to convince Paige to be on her team. When appealing to Paige’s dislike of Ali doesn’t work, she ups the ante to threatening. There will be no neutral parties in this war, either you’re Team Mona or Team Ali. Paige is sticking to her guns though, and it makes me really like her. She’s doing her best in a really difficult situation. Especially since Emily has been spending so much time with new girl, Sydney. She’s coaching her, and having pizza with her. Paige seems to be able to come along on most of these hangs, getting less awkward each time. Will Paily be able to forge a friendship? I certainly hope so.
Paige did have the lady balls to tell Emily that there is a war coming against Ali and she should distance herself from that. We all know Emily won’t leave Ali alone in this, but it is sound advice, advice that spurs Emily to go try to talk Ali into starting a new life. It doesn’t work, but Emily does vow that this is the last time she lies for Alison. She’s done. Even Ali seems taken aback by Emily’s newfound confidence. Good on her.
Aria is still paranoid as all get out. First, finding Shana’s copy of The Scarlet Letter (I see what you did there, PLL writers), Mona hinting she may know about Shana’s death, and a rather coincidental TheatreGirl handle asking how she’ll ever get over it are just adding fuel to the fire. During a Pretty Little Liars discussion about who killed Mrs. D, (LOL at Hanna’s lobster rant) a familiar mass text sounds but it’s just Ali. Doesn’t mean all of them didn’t have that jolt of dread for a split second. Didn’t we all?
In order to find some sense of peace, or torture herself, Aria researches Shana Fring. A video of her funeral pops up, which Aria watches on repeat. Is she secretly a masochist? Watching Shana’s family mourn her is multiplying her guilt by a thousand. She has a talk with Emily (since they’re both likeable killers now) to see if she ever felt this way. Ems tells her she did, she wondered about Nate’s mom, stared at her handwriting for hours, wondering when her hand shook. Needless to say, it’s a normal part of the grieving process.
Aria still isn’t convinced and goes to the much more knowledgeable (but not a killer), Ezra. He tells her she is just going to have to find the strength to forgive herself and move on. He catches her trying to make a donation to Shana’s family and explains Shana’s family may never forgive her and despite her good intentions, it’s really only to make herself think they have. He’s got her psychological selfie (™ Spencer Hastings) down pat. Ezra decides to take her mind off things by hosting a private game night. Sounds like some good times, but it’s really just checkers and card games. Aria almost spends the night, but thinks better of it. Be careful, little pixie, your forgiveness for Ezra’s complete shadiness is showing.
(Side note: How is Aria getting away with murder? What did they do with the murder weapon? Holbrook knows Ali was at that theater, possibly the girls as well. Why hasn’t he put two and two together? This is a bit far-fetched, even for PLL. Aria better get some flack for this)
The Hastings house is under duress, as usual. The backyard looks like a scene out of CSI: Rosewood and it’s making Mrs. Hastings very anxious. Spencer tries to persuade her mom into talking to her, to unite as allies against Papa Hastings and Melissa. She refuses at first but eventually gives in. She tells Spencer after Ali’s body was found, Mrs. D. was going to tell the police she saw Spencer that night, that she had something to do with it. Papa Hastings threatened to out their affair and that kept her quiet. But with Ali found alive and Mr. D divorcing her, what was to stop her from snitching on Spence? She may not go down for Ali’s murder but a girl died that night and she was going to put the blame squarely on Spencer. Mrs. Hastings is afraid Papa Hastings took matters into his own hands and offed her. Valid concern and Spencer is highly suspicious of him as well.
With Toby off on another out of town job, Spencer enlists Andrew to help her with some landscaping to calm her mother’s nerves. There’s some banter and not so subtle flirting. Andrew even jokes about making out with her on a labor break, which Spence takes surprisingly well. Uh oh, Toby. You’d better start taking some work closer to home or you’re going to come home to Spandrew.
Getting back to work, Spencer comes across a dead opossum in her garage. Turns out, he ate the fresh rat poison hidden there. Except the Hastings have never had a rat problem #suspicious
Spencer researches the rat poison (It kills humans…who knew?) but a talk with Ali reveals that Mrs. D died from a mix-up in her medications. The relief is plain on Spencer’s face and Ali recognizes the feeling as mutual. All is well until Spencer slices her hand and goes to find bandages in the cabinet. Instead she finds her dad’s prescription bottle…for the same drug which killed Mrs. D.
In lieu of our A coda, we see Ali reading the mixed messages on her social media. Everything from “Enjoy Hell, Alison” to “We love and miss you, Ali!” I can’t tell if she’s upset or morbidly enjoying the attention. As Ali herself said, “That’s immortality, my darlings.”
Did Papa Hastings have something to do with Mrs. D’s murder?
Will Paige continue to play Switzerland in the War on Alison?
What is Mona’s grand plan?
Citings: prettylittleliars.us, zap2it.com, fuck-yeah-stefon.tumblr.com, pickyrunner.com, perezhilton.com, teen.com, favim.com, doyouremember.com