Previously: Ali had a whole bunch of masks of her face made because she’s a creepy girl.
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Face Time
Lorraine: Best Papa Fields gets home, greets Emily and quickly sends her on her way. Because every other day she has full hours for coffee and crime investigating, but on the day her dad gets home, can’t be late! No time!
Sweeney: Emily, girl, reexamine all of your priorities.
Lor: Hanna and Caleb are already at school, discussing Shitbag Marin’s missing gun. Caleb’s all, “hey, all we know is there may have been a gun in the room when your mom got there and it was definitely gone after she left.” Caleb says if Wilden was shot with a 38, Ashley is in trouble. Hanna’s response is to just forget everything about murder and evidence and stuff because it’s too hard. She stomps away from Caleb and runs right into Spencer and Aria. Skipping all pleasantries, she asks if Spencer has asked Melissa about the mask. Aria and Spencer tell her to slow her roll, but she’s convinced that Melissa is A and currently trying to frame Ashley for murder.
Sweeney: Said in a fashion that indicates zero concern for protecting the safety of these four girls.
Lor: SHHHHHHHH.
Rosewood High’s Communal Coffee Tme. While the Liars are discussing Creepy Mask Man, Emily gets a text message; her dad wants her home straight after school. Aria can’t believe they are questioning the Fields. Emily says she did lie about getting hurt and stealing pills. Aria is all, “PFFT. LITTLE LIES.” Um. Lying about almost getting run over by a car and pill stealing that leads to injury are NOT little lies, Aria. Please consider your life. Hanna says some #deep things about little lies being more complicated and Aria’s all, “I gotta go.” (S: Where!? All I want in the whole world is a copy of the Rosewood High School bell schedule and its various unique-to-each-student iterations.) They take a pause from discussing murder suspects and CPS to check up on Aria’s love life! And also her mom’s.
The bell rings and Hanna reminds Spencer once again about Melissa and the mask. Spencer sarcastically tells Emily that senior year is supposed to be the best year of your life and Emily says, “if you survive it.”
AWKWARD FAMILY TIMES. Mariska Mom and Melissa are talking about her fabulous new coat which she will use for her fabulous new job opportunity. This means, Spencer gets to keep Melissa’s reject trench coat! Spencer responds to this sarcastically and stupid Mariska Mom tells her not to be jealous of Melissa. I love Melissa’s haircut and I’m trying to focus on that instead of whatever nonsense just came out of her mouth. Mariska Mom says Spencer will miss her sister when she’s at U.Penn and Spen takes this opportunity to inform them that she got rejected. Mariska Mom thinks she’s joking, because seeing how distressed her daughter is isn’t one of her strong suits. (S: I don’t think any aspect of actual parenting is among her strong suits. It has become clear that the one time we thought she was a good parent she was actually just being a good lawyer.) Melissa says the rejection was only for early admission and there are things they can do. Spencer says there is no “we” and Mariska Mom comes running to Melissa’s defense.
Hanna visits Ashley at the bank and finds New Cop Holbrook and Bad Hair Tanner are there, looking in Wilden’s safe deposit box. Wilden kept cash, two Passports and a gun with the serial filed off in there. Tanner makes accusatory statements directed at Ashley and then grabs a butterscotch before she leaves with the new evidence. Don’t lose it!
Spencer and Emily are talking on the phone that night about Melissa and the mask again. Spencer says she wants to blindside Melissa with it and maybe get some real answers. Emily hears voices downstairs and says she has to go. Her parents are talking about hard it is for them to bear the brunt of the Rosewood gossip mill. But, because they are the most decent parents in the town, they are less concerned with that and more concerned about why their daughter is a lying liar who lies.
After a not!break, Emily visits her doctor to aggressively tell him that NOTHING IS GOING ON AT HOME. He doesn’t believe her which frustrates her more. Before she storms out, he stops her to drop some more bad news: that rock really messed her shoulder. up. Her athletic future is uncertain.
Sweeney: Sidebar because I really feel for Emily in all of this. It’s a long story, but an adult projecting her own unresolved childhood trauma onto me and my life once called CPS on my family. They interviewed us and everything was fine and we moved on with our lives, but that was a really stressful, difficult time in my 12-year-old life because it absolutely felt like I had done something wrong. Emily going to talk to the doctor was stupidly counter-productive because of course it would read as though she’s being pressured, but it was also totally believable. tl;dr – many feels for Emily right now. (Her parents too, of course, but this story isn’t really about them.)
Lor: That was actually a nice little slow down, but (as you’ll see) I was particularly sympathetic while watching/writing. But you are right and all of this is horrible.
Tanner is rocking some really bright blue shoes that must be hella impractical. Hanna is conveniently around here (?) and Tanner invites her to sit. Hanna says all that stuff they found in Wilden’s safe deposit box made him look real dishonest, huh? Hanna leans into Tanner and tells her that she saw Holbrook talking to Melissa Hastings recently. Melissa knew Wilden and even went on his boat a few times. Tanner asks if Hanna ever went on his boat and it really sounds like going on his boat means more to Tanner than, you know, riding on a actual boat. Next, Tanner asks Hanna to estimate how many times she talked to Wilden in the past year, between that one time they were arrested for being near or around a shovel and those times he would come “talk” to Ashley at home. Hanna stutters until Caleb shows up to rescue her. They excuse themselves.
Hanna tells Caleb that she totally has everything under control. Caleb is weary.
Spencer tracked down Dr. Palmer, who treated Toby’s mother. Toby grabs his things so he can leave right now and go talk to him. Spencer wants to come too, but Toby tells her to stay home and worry about Melissa. They kiss goodbye and for some reason, we fade to them still kissing, now downstairs at the Rosewood’s One Coffee Shop. It’s like they kiss-tumbled all the way down. Aria is, of course, there and sees Toby leaving. Spencer lies about him going to work, but Aria thinks Toby is going out to try and find the A Lair. Why she would suspect that is beyond me.
Emily joins them and it’s time to talk about the mask again. Spencer asks who they would go talk to if they wanted a mask made. Answer: someone who works at a costume shop, like Super Suspicious Shana. Spencer wants to know how Melissa will react when she comes face to face with the mask, and if she’ll run to Mask Man, Shana or someone else.
Paige shows up. We stay with Spencer and Aria a little longer so Aria can talk about her love life again, but no one cares. Outside, Emily tells Paige that she’s going to miss a few more swim practices but can’t bring herself to say much else. Instead she’s all, “let’s just kiss.” Cool plan!
Aria and Jake are on a date, talking about Jackie Chan. (?) They walk by a store and Malcolm comes running out. Ezra and Alex Mac are inside buying books for him. Malcolm asks why Aria doesn’t come around anymore and Aria says she’s real busy (shaving her hands). She sends Malcolm back inside so his parents don’t miss him. Aria walks quickly away and Jake tries to casually question who Ezra is. Aria gives the worst possible answer ever: just one of my teachers.
Lor: We cut to them later that night after Aria has told him the full story. He’s staring at her with like 1/5th of the WTF I’d want him to have, but still. 1/5th. Jake tells Aria that she isn’t done with Ezra, clearly, but she insists she is. He wants to know why she’s so sure and she leans in for a kiss. He breaks away and asks, “do you really want to be with someone who could kiss you after you tell them a story about your failed pedo-lationship?” LOLOLOL. NICE, JAKE. I’M STILL NOT TRYING TO THINK ABOUT HOW OLD YOU ARE, BUT GOOD JOB. The rest of this scene doesn’t live up to that one moment so we’ll move along.
Toby finds Dr. Palmer and asks about his mother.
Marin Manor. Ashley shares that she’s no longer allowed to take customers back into the vault. She didn’t ask any questions about why (because she didn’t want to hear the answer) and snaps at Hanna for probing. Hanna says she knows Ashley was in Rosewood the night Wilden was killed. Ashley doesn’t deny it and they are sad.
Dr. Palmer dances around the topic a bit but doesn’t deny that Mama Cavanaugh may have been pushed. Toby asks about other people she came in contact with and all Dr. Palmer says is that Mama C loved Toby. Then he starts rambling about the air being too heavy for her. Toby realizes that Palmer isn’t all there, and in fact, he isn’t working at this hospital. He lives there. Toby gets up to leave and Palmer tells him to come and visit again and bring his mother. Toby’s face falls as he walks away but Dr. Palmer calls after him to tell Mama C to stay away from that blonde girl! The Soundtrack Guy thinks this is very significant.
Hastings House. Melissa grabs some wine and Spencer and Aria watch and record her from outside. They planted Melissa’s suitcase in the living room. She opens it, digs through it and finds the mask. Melissa thinks about it for a minute and then grabs her stuff to go. Spencer and Aria follow.
Fields House and a scene where I will relate more to the parents like an old hag. Mama and Papa Fields confront Emily about her lying ways. Family Services thinks her injury happened in the house and she won’t tell them what really happened. She’s all, “it doesn’t matter!” and, lol. Girl, they are trying to explain to you why it does. Emily plays the, “just trust me!” card followed by the, “don’t shout!” card.
What? Sorry, my teenaged years were flashing before my eyes.
Sweeney: Followed by a heavy sigh and a strong desire to hug my parents. I’M SORRY GUYS.
Lor: Mama Fields turns the trust card around. Emily says she went to Dr. Vargas to try to explain and her parents yell some more about how stupid that was. She’s done with this whole conversation and starts bratting away but there are other issues, like where she’ll go to college and how they’ll pay. Her solution is to get three jobs. Papa Fields recognizes that she’s been through a lot and asks if maybe that whole stalker thing isn’t over. She yells that she doesn’t know and runs out of the house.
Marin Manor. Caleb and Hanna are discussing how guilty Ashley looks when the doorbell rings. It’s Holbrook and Tanner for Ashley. Hanna lies that she isn’t home and Caleb jumps in on the lie and says that he drove her car to the house. The detectives level them with YEAH SURE looks and leave. Ashley appears at the top of the stairs and doesn’t even thank them for lying to the cops. Ungrateful.
Sweeney: And maybe a thing she should be trying to keep in check, after her vehement insistence that the ambiguous “THIS” won’t touch her daughter. It sure as hell will if she keeps needing to lie to the cops for you.
Lor: Spencer and Aria followed Melissa all the way to Mask Man’s creepy cabin on the edge of the woods, because where else would you build your masks? They watch as Melissa drags a bag out of the cabin. Spencer follows to confront her and Aria goes into Mask Man’s cabin for reasons that end and begin with, “because Aria,” I guess. By the lake, Melissa is smashing plaster casts and throwing them into the water. In the cabin, Aria finds a whole line of Alison plaster casts.
After a not!break, Aria confronts Mask Man with the Ali-cast. He lied about destroying them. Aria asks if Ali ever came to the cabin with anyone. The answer is no, but we do get a convenient Ali!back. Ali storms into the cabin and demands her money. Mask Man doesn’t have it, because he hasn’t gotten paid for the job. Ali wants whatever he has now and sensing the crazy and desperation, Mask Man hands over some cash. Ali runs out of the cabin to a waiting car and it speeds off. In the present, MM says that was the last he saw of Ali.
Melissa is still smashing and Spencer confronts her. She tries to run, but Spencer blocks her path and demands some answers. Was she on the Adam Lambert Party and Murder Train? Did she see the Ali mask on Mona? Melissa hangs onto the confirmation that it was Mona.
Inside, Aria asks about Melissa. Mask Man says he copied her face for information on Ali. Then he gets creepier.
Lor: Spencer has connected all the pieces. Melissa followed the clues to the Mask Man because she wanted to know about the AliMasks. Melissa admits she wanted to know when they were made too, making it clear that she suspects Ali might still be alive. Spencer asks if Melissa tried to kill her on the Adam Lambert Party Murder Train. She says that was Wilden. They had the same costume. Why was she helping him? She says she wasn’t. “They” were all afraid of him. Who is “they?” The N.A.T Club? Melissa yells that it isn’t about some stupid club and stomps away. Lots of stomping away today. And, you know, every day we recap PLL.
Spencer knows that there is a connection, though, between the club and what happened to Ali. Spencer thinks Wilden was blackmailing them because of it. Melissa says Wilden wasn’t that smart. He was receiving orders from someone. Melissa didn’t know about the “murder” part of the Party Murder train until she was already riding it.
Spencer says a warning would’ve been nice and Melissa kind of charges at her as she claims she’s been trying to protect Spencer from the beginning. She sent Jenna and Shana to watch them while they were at the lodge, to find out who they were going to meet. To find something else out, but she stops herself from saying because this is already too many words being used and maybe it’s causing a little shortage in her brain or something.
Wilden was the one who started the fire and someone else pulled them out of the lodge. Spencer asks how Melissa knows Jenna and Shana and why she thinks Alison is alive. Melissa doesn’t answer. Her final question is if Melissa killed detective Wilden and she simply replies that Spencer has to drop it or else everything will come apart.
Pool. Paige is swimming alone at night. At school. Emily joins her and is sad.
Back at the lake, Aria asks where Melissa went and Spencer says she’s gone and it doesn’t matter whereto. She’s gone. There is a large piece of mask left and Spencer throws it into the water. There are actually a lot of large pieces left so I hope this wasn’t any attempt at evidence destroying. We see one of those large pieces and I have no idea who it’s supposed to be. Sweeney? Anyone?
Sweeney: I’m fairly certain it was of Melissa, but don’t take my word for it.
Lor: Emily’s told Paige the whole story about her shoulder and, like a good girlfriend, Paige is a little burst of positivity as she assures Emily that she will swim again. Guys, remember when Paige tried to drown Emily? I barely do!
Paige walks Emily back home, only to find that the cops have been called to their house for a domestic disturbance. LEAVE THEM ALONE, OMG.
At the Hastings House, Melissa is gone and Aria is making some tea. Spencer gets a text from A: Melissa is guilty of plenty, but she’s not A material. Kisses.
A-nonymous: A has of course fished out that badly destroyed pieces of the mask of someone I don’t know.
Next time on Pretty Little Liars: Spencer and Emily visit a nearby college in S04 E05 – Gamma Zeta Die!
I'm a 30-something south Floridan who loves the beach but cannot swim. Such is my life, full of small contradictions and little trivialities. My main life goals are never to take life too seriously, but to do everything I attempt seriously well. After that, my life goals devolve into things like not wearing pants and eating all of the Zebra Cakes in the world. THE WORLD.
Nicole is the co-captain of Snark Squad and these days she spends most of her time editing podcasts. She spends too much time on Twitter and very occasionally vlogs and blogs. In her day job she's a producer, editor, director, and sometimes host of educational YouTube channels. She loves travel, maps, panda gifs, and semicolons. Writing biographies stresses her out; she crowd sourced this one years ago and has been using a version of it ever since. She would like to thank Twitter for their help.
