Pretty Little Liars S05 E11 – We’re all in this together.

Previously: Alison is taking her fake kidnapping super seriously.
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No One Here Can Love or Understand Me

Jessica: The episode starts with our four Liars walking abreast down the street at night. They stop and take a big breath, and we see they’re looking at the police station, picking up from last time where they decided to finally stop being liars and become truthers by going to the LOLPD.

“This time’s different,” Emily says and I laugh and laugh. Spencer adds that after this, Alison is on her own and everyone pauses a moment for the audience to go “dun dun DUN” in their heads.

Marines: I appreciated their dramatic pauses and also this really appealing little formation they stand in. Whenever I’m with friends, I’m going to start insisting that we only stand in pretty formations.

Jessica: I can just imagine them starting up the street, then Hanna goes “no wait guys, it will be better if Spencer is all the way on the left” and they go “oh yeah you’re right” and switch places and start over again. Maybe that will be in the blooper reel.

Juuuust as they’re about to cross the street and confess, the TVs in the window behind them start flickering, and show a black and white photograph of Ali as a candy striper, back in Season Long Ago when she visited Hanna in a not!dream when Hanna was in the hospital for something. I want to say broken arm? I can’t remember. (M: I think it’s safe to assume that a car was thrown at her. That’s typically what happens around here.)

Then the words “We’re all in this together” and “A” flash across the screen. Now they definitely can’t become truthers, they decide, because apparently the photograph is somehow proof that they did know Ali was alive beforehand. Man, one minute in and this episode is already stretching my logic capacity.

Mari: I’d feel bad for you, but…

Jessica: *gasp! Now I know exactly how they feel!

Spencer, not to be outdone by A’s latest command of technology, picks up a brick. The other girls hold her back, telling her smashing everything won’t do any good, and then the TV screens switch to a live feed of them in front of the store. They back away and as the pictures switch back to normal nature-related screensavers, “Act normal bitches” flashes across the screen.

SHHHHH.

Emily gets coffee at Rosewood’s One Coffee Shop, where a prominent “this business is for sale” sign is displayed. Phew, that solves their problem of not being able to go there thanks to Piper Mom’s pedotastic almost-husband. Which is good, since it’s their only coffee shop.

Emily and Spencer sit on the couch together, since the other two have gone home. Emily offers decaf coffee “mostly for the whipped cream” of which I approve. Spencer thanks her for stopping her from committing smashing crimes against windows and Emily tells her she should save her smashing for a more deserving target. A, perhaps, or … someone else, since “we’re all in this together” sounds like their buddy Alison.

Mari: Alternatively, A could just be a person who was a teenager in 2006.

Jessica: Spencer declines a call from speak-of-the-devil Alison, and asks how Emily is doing now that she’s finally off of Team Alison. Emily says she was defending someone from the past, who maybe wasn’t even real — her version of Alison before everything started. She wishes she could make up with Paige, but doesn’t think she can. We also learn that Ali’s dad is taking her out of town in fear of the fake kidnapper from last episode, and Emily expresses suspicion over how he conveniently left right when it worked out for Ali.

Caleb’s Cabin. Hanna finds him asleep in a chair and kisses him on the forehead, which startles him into waking up and flailing wildly. She confronts him about a nearby bottle of vodka, since they agreed to stop drinking, but he says he needs it to sleep. She asks why he can’t sleep and he avoids the question, asking what happened when they went to the police. Hanna explains what happened, and that A has incriminating pictures which means no one will believe them. “We’re back where we started,” she said in season five, episode 11 and I bang my head on the table.

She leaves with a sarcastic comment about him drinking, and we switch to Ezra’s Pedopartment. Boooo. He opens the door to find Emily in the hallway. She wants to talk.

Montgomery Manse. Aria walks in to see Mona and her little brother Mike study-flirting in the living room. Mona offers to get everyone hot chocolate, but Aria is nonplussed and refuses.

Back to the Pedopartment. Emily has filled Ezra in on Cyrus the fake kidnapper, and asks if he ever heard that name while doing his “research” aka when he stalked everyone in Ali’s life and which everyone’s apparently cool with now. Dick. (M: I hate this so much.) He’s of no help anyways, shocker. They decide that the only way Cyrus would risk getting arrested and charged for Ali’s kidnapping is if he’s being blackmailed. Emily gives Ezra a photo that shows Ali and the back of a guy who might be Cyrus but I can’t tell, standing at an ATM. I don’t remember what this is or where it came from, and am surprised that this “evidence” wasn’t immediately lost in some ridiculous manner. She asks Ezra to use the photo to look for clues or something and he thanks her for trusting him. She replies that the only reason is that she has to trust him because he’s the only person who can help get the answers. Um, why? Is he some research genius? Why will he help with this photo? Damn you contrivance, get this douchebag off my screen. He thanks her for her honesty instead and I want to punch him in his face.

Mari: If he wasn’t a research genius before, he’s at least wracked up some experience with it by now. And by “research,” I of course mean “stalking.” 

Jessica: Pretty much anytime someone says “research” in Rosewood they mean “stalking.”

Montgomery Manse. Aria tells her dad that the Mike and Mona combination is no good. He claims to understand her worries, saying that “you and Mona have more than the usual amount of history” which I think is a big fucking understatement since this mentally unstable young lady tried to kill one of Aria’s best friends and stalked her for over a year. But if he or Aria tries to tell Mike not to see her, he’ll do the opposite, so instead the plan is to keep their distance. Man, this guy is a bad parent.

As he leaves, he reminds her that they’re going to a show tomorrow night as a family, all four of them, for the first time in a while. And whose fault is that, jerk? But they have a smiling moment instead and he leaves.

Next day at Rosewood We-Want-More-Background-Set-Variety High School, the four Liars are in the hallway and agree that telling Mike not to date Mona will only drive him further into her arms, which, knowing the psychology of tweens, is probably pretty accurate.

They discuss who would want to keep them from going to the police, and Hanna says she has a “bad thought” that it might not be A but Alison. Wait, isn’t this what they already decided? (M: RIGHT? I thought the whole point of… never mind. Whatever.) Anyway, Aria and Emily peel off to class (I assume…) and Hanna asks Spencer if she still has the number for Dean, her “sober coach” who helped her get off drugs before he was fired by her mother for being too friendly with a teenager (is how I vaguely remember that plot line going). Hanna thinks he can help Caleb. Spencer says there’s someone better than a total stranger, but the scene cuts away before we find out who.

Outside the school (so, not class), Emily is talking to Paige about Sydney. Paige defends Sydney’s swimming skills despite her lies, and Emily says it’s ok because they can keep an eye on her better when she’s on the swim team, which I highly doubt, but sure.

Emily says she only seems to see Paige at practice. It’s complicated, but they agree they need to talk soon. They part somewhat awkwardly.

Spencer’s room. Spencer’s on the phone with Toby, asking if she calls him Officer Toby or Cadet Toby. Hanna rolls her eyes over their phone flirting, and Spencer asks if he can come over and talk to Caleb. She hangs up and as she closes the door of her room, sees a letter on the floor, as though it’s been shoved under the door. She recognizes Melissa’s handwriting.

The note says that their dad is taking Melissa to the airport, she’s sorry and that Spencer will know everything soon. Dramatic music leads us into a not!commercial break.

Next scene– Hanna, Emily and Aria are walking down the sidewalk in town, Hanna having just told them about the mysterious Melissa note. They discuss how infuriating it is when you want to know something but someone withholds that information, and is this show being really meta right now? (M: I’m pretty sure it’s not that smart.) (J: That’s just my brain again then, wishing it was.) Emily asks if anyone knows how Ali is but no one is picking up her calls, so no one does.

Hanna says she’s had another bad thought. Though it’s really more of a question. Since previously A told Ali she couldn’t leave town, why has that changed, since she’s gone now? Aria says that since Alison made a deal with Noel, maybe she made a deal with someone else.

Detective Tanner comes up behind them, and the camera shows her in a very villain-esque way, from below looking up, with her head blocking out the sun. She says she’s lucky to find most of them in one place, since she wants to talk. The girls look all shifty like they do in the credits and the music becomes dramatic.

Hastings House. Spencer and Toby are making out on the couch. She asks when he saw Caleb last, and it was after his house blew up. He checked up on Caleb in his cabin and he seemed ok. Spencer tells Toby about the drinking, and that he’s different lately. She thinks he looks “haunted” and Toby agrees. He saw that same look when Caleb came back from Ravenswood. (cue spooky ghost music) (M: cue spooky cancellation music…)

Sidewalk. Detective Tanner bought everybody coffee and they’re chatting at a little sidewalk table. She assures the girls that the police will catch the kidnapping suspect who was released prematurely. The girls are polite enough not to burst out laughing. She hopes they’ll report anything out of the ordinary and Aria uneasily says that they will.

Tanner pretends like she’s leaving, then sits back down again and asks who they think killed Bethany Young (the girl who was found who was previously thought to be Alison). They pretend they haven’t thought about it, and Tanner admits there’s nothing to link them and Bethany together except the fact that she was killed mere yards away from their slumber party. Tanner leaves for real and the girls try to hold in their freaking out a bit longer.

Hastings House. Spencer calls Hanna to say their Toby/Caleb bro-date is on. Hanna replies that Detective Tanner thinks they killed Bethany Young, and relates their encounter. They freak out on the phone while Toby answers the door to a delivery guy. As Spencer hangs up, he returns with a letter package from Melissa, post-marked at the Philadelphia airport.

We cut to Spencer alone in her room. She’s on her laptop, watching a video message from Melissa. Melissa says she’s going back to England, which is what Papa Hastings wanted ever since she mysteriously whispered something in his ear at the police station last season. But she doesn’t want to leave Spencer in the dark so she’s going to tell her things.

“I saw you the night Alison disappeared,” Melissa says. She heard their fight and saw Spencer walk down the road dragging a shovel. (M: GUILTY!) Then she saw “the body” and thought at the time that Spencer had killed Alison. In order to cover it up, Melissa shoved the blond-haired person into a nearby hole and buried her. She says that now she knows it wasn’t Alison but Bethany, and that she wasn’t dead at the time, and it was Melissa who buried her alive. “I thought I was protecting you,” she says. Melissa cries, says goodbye and that she loves her. Spencer stares at the screen in shock.

Mari: Me too! Not because this turn of events was particularly surprising, BUT BECAUSE THEY TOLD US ABOUT IT. Just randomly in episode 11, we found out who killed Bethany Young. This is making me feel like this is not true now. 

Jessica: Whether or not it’s true…. still doesn’t explain why Melissa did any of the creepy stuff she’s done throughout the series.

Bro-date Restaurant. Spencer is drinking water and looking shell-shocked while Hanna gives Toby instructions on being discreet and changing the subject when necessary. Caleb arrives, he and Toby shake hands and Toby dives right in by asking “what’s the deal” with him not being able to sleep. Hanna big-eyes at Spencer but she says, “Don’t look at me, this must be how boys communicate.” Caleb starts to walk away but Toby tells him they’re worried and walking away won’t change that. Caleb hesitates and seems like he might listen now.

One Coffee Shop. Emily comes out of the back to see a dressed-to-the-nines Paige picking up coffee. Paige awkwards that she thought Emily didn’t work this shift. Emily asks if she’s going somewhere and Piage says yep and it’s so awkward. She leaves and Emily looks after her sadly.

Movie theater. Aria arrives to see her dad, Mike and Mona all sitting in a row together. Papa Montgomery says that Piper Mom had to cancel. “Lucky me,” says Mona, and Aria is forced to sit next to her in the aisle.

Paige walks through the door next, with a tall blonde girl we’ve never seen before, and sits down a little ways away, as both Aria and Mona watch. Lights go down and the movie starts.

Restaurant of Bros Talking it Out. Spencer and Hanna are at one table, Caleb and Toby at another. Hanna wonders why Toby can’t talk to her, and Spencer says people sometimes can’t tell you to your face things they want to, because they’re afraid of what you’ll think of them. Hanna thinks true love means telling someone exactly what you think no matter what.

Boys table. Caleb tries brushing off his drinking but Toby tells him to face the problem, whatever it is, directly. Toby says he can relate to Caleb’s issues because he’s been to Ravenswood, but Caleb laughs at him and calls him a tourist. “I lived there,” he says, staring off into the middle distance like a soldier who’s seen too much. Toby wants to know what he’s so scared of. Caleb resists and walks out of the restaurant in a huff.

Mari: Caleb isn’t really helping our “everyone should move out of Rosewood” case. People are going to start thinking that if you leave, you come back with nightmares and a drinking problem. 

Jessica: Movie theater. The movie is going and while some poor girl gets strangled in black-and-white, Aria leans over and whispers something into Mona’s ear. Mona’s smile fades and she excuses herself, leaving. When Mike looks over, Aria shrugs and lo

Restaurant of Bro-tastic Feelings. Spencer tries to make Toby feel better but he tries to walk away. She won’t let him, and he admits he’s mad at himself for failing with Caleb. He wonders if she’s ok, and what Melissa sent her. Spencer doesn’t tell him specifics, but says she doesn’t know what to do now that she knows the truth.

One Coffee Shop. Ezra is bringing Emily his research findings. He has another photo of Ali and the guy at the ATM, and this time we can see the guy’s face and it is Cyrus. Ezra also found that Cyrus goes by a number of different names, and has several arrests on his record. Emily wonders what it is Ali has on this guy.

Movie theater. Mike asks Aria to check on Mona. Aria finds her in the bathroom, wiping away tears and re-doing her make-up.

Mona says that Ali underestimated Aria, who knows the right thing to say to hurt someone. Aria apologizes but Mona rejects it, saying that Papa Montgomery should hate her for all that she did to Aria and Mike, who deserves someone nicer.

Mona says she should have died when she fell off the cliff, but Aria tells her to cut it out. Mona admits she’s only ever been trying to protect herself from Alison. Aria cottons on that this is why Mona “built an army” but Mona complains it’s tough to keep it when Alison pretends to be so nice to everyone. “When she finishes with me, she’ll come after you and the others,” Mona says. Alison can’t trust them after Cyrus and after New York.

Aria big-eyes and moves in closer, asking about New York. Mona claims knowledge of “some things” and has a question: “Do you think Mike really likes me?” Aria sighs and seems to soften.

Mari: “I know you murdered someone, but more importantly: does your brother like me?” Seems legit.

Jessica: Hastings House. Spencer is re-watching the Melissa message. Spencer talks at the screen, telling her sister she was always good at “the grand exit.” She gets teary over how Melissa accidentally killed Bethany Young to protect her.

Montgomery Manse. Aria talks to her dad about Mike and Mona, saying she thinks they’ll be ok but they just need to keep an eye on things. There’s a knock on the door and Papa Montgomery says it’s probably Tanner. The zoomy cameraman does his thing as Aria’s big eyes do their thing.

Caleb’s Cabin. Caleb comes in and starts packing his bag in the dark, but Hanna turns on the light. She’s sitting in the chair. He’s mad she tried to pull an intervention. She says she’s there to apologize. But she’s also worried, because he can’t take care of himself recently. She gets all teary and asks him to trust her.

Montgomery Manse. Tanner says she’s been talking to all the parents of the girls, and he counters that she’s also been talking to the girls without adult supervision. She claims to know the rules, but he tells her to worry about the kidnapper they released.

Tanner says that as the homicide investigation becomes more complicated, it’s likely because someone is doing something on purpose to mess it up. She also admits that the police are interested in Aria, both for connection with homicide and in obstructing the investigation. She goes on to gloat that she hasn’t been harassing the girls so much as waiting for one of them to come forward to tell the truth, which has now happened. “I just wanted you to know,” she said in what might be the most inappropriate police officer house call ever.

Mari: This homicide investigation is also probably getting more complicated because you spend your days buying suspects coffee and making house calls, Tanner.

Jessica: Not to mention randomly telling various non-police people things about the case that are likely confidential.

Papa Montgomery tries to get the name of the girl who came forward but Tanner smirks at him and the audience and leaves. The camera pans around to reveal Aria in the hallway listening to the entire conversation.

Cut to Aria, Emily and Spencer in one of their rooms. Aria’s just given them the news, and even though they couldn’t reach Hanna, they know it wasn’t her. They suspect Alison. Emily says they can stop her, and shows them the new photo that Ezra gave her, showing Ali and Cyrus together. Spencer decides to show them the Melissa message.

Caleb’s Cabin. He’s describing the premise of Ravenswood to Hanna, but it feels kind of like coming in halfway through. The town made a contract with a preacher (presumed evil), but there were loopholes, so Caleb and “the others” took “the jars” down to a bridge and opened them “and released whatever was inside.” The result was some supernatural occurrence with fireflies drifting through the trees and disappearing. After that, no more demons or messages or revenge. Some girl named Miranda disappeared. Hanna says that means Caleb kept his promise to take care of her but he doesn’t see it that way.

He says he’s not the same person, but Hanna says she knows him, and he is. He picks up a piece from a Ouija board, saying it’s not just a game but is real. “People turned it into a game and they forgot what it’s really for.” He can’t sleep because his dreams scare him. That’s how he first talked to Miranda after she died, in a dream. He’s afraid she’s going to show up again and tell him that it’s his fault and everything is wrong.

Hanna says that neither of them is who they used to be but they’ll get through it. They kiss and the ouija board piece moves toward the words “good bye” on the board.

“Goodbye,” says Melissa in her message, as Aria and Emily watch. They discuss the night Bethany was killed. Spencer’s theory is that someone had planned for Bethany to be mistaken for Ali, since they were wearing the exact same set of clothes.

“We need to get around that picture of A at the hospital, or we’re busted,” Emily says, and the two girls call her on having said “picture of A” rather than “picture of Alison.” Emily says it was a slip of the tongue, and Aria wants to know what Spencer’s going to do with the Melissa message.

Caleb’s Cabin. Caleb is sleeping on the couch while Hanna stares out the screen door. Fireflies blink on and off in the woods. The music starts nice but then turns ominous as the camera pulls away from the cabin.

Mari: Usually we end with some nefarious A stuff, so I think we can assume that A is sending fireflies to Caleb’s cabin.

Jessica: Man, even the ghosts are on A’s side.

 

Next time on Pretty Little Liars: Mona hacks into the LOLPD servers in S05 E12 – Taking This One to the Grave.