Pretty Little Liars: “To Plea or Not to Plea” Review
Pretty Little Liars
Season 5.23
“To Plea or Not to Plea”
Previously on Pretty Little Liars…
Alison is offered a plea bargain as her prison hazing reaches dangerous new heights. Spencer gets duped (by guess who) in London. Emily wins the “Fearless PLL Sleuth Award” as she uncovers “A Big” clue. Aria finally comes to her senses! Hanna, poor Hanna, learns that orange is not a good color for her. This episode definitely had undertones of deceit and drama as A pulls a fast one on the girls.
Ali almost tells her lawyer about Mike’s revelation that Mona faked her death. When her lawyer asks “does this person know for a fact where you where at the time of the murder?”, Alison says no. Her lawyer tells her that this can’t help her case, so Alison does not share any further information about Mike. It’s very interesting, because she actually could have shared it anyway. Her lawyer tells her that the DA is offering a plea bargain agreement if Ali pleads guilty and tells who her accomplice was. She can get fifteen years and could be out in ten versus life without parole. After all, the police have been building a case around the person they believe helped Ali...Hanna Marin!!! Alison has a big decision to make and that decision will let us see more clearly into Alison’s motives.
Spencer is still in London. Even though her mother has supposedly set up another college interview for her, she is trying to book a flight back to Rosewood. Melissa convinces her to stay by sharing how different her life is since she moved to London. The first-born Hastings fills Spencer’s head with so much “I want to be a real big sister to you and share hair and make-up tips” garbage, that Spence falls for it and stays. Conveniently, Melissa and Wren’s flat mate, Collin, asks Spencer on a date to the Royal Shakespeare Company. Melissa follows through and gives Spencer the perfect dress for the date and Spencer goes off with Collin to see Hamlet and “legally” buy her first beer/pint. Hastings’ money, scheming, lies and a handsome guy to kiss Spencer prevail once again! Spencer later learns that there is no interview. Her mother thought Alison was going to name Spence as her accomplice, so they decided to conspire to keep her out of the Rosewood.
Well the word is out about Aria and Andrew. Emily sees the note that Andrew left in Aria’s locker about their upcoming date. Aria brushes all of that aside because she is focused on passing her History test and finding a way to help her brother stay out of trouble. So Emily goes to Ezra and asks if he found any information about Varjak when he was researching for his book. STOP, LOOK, and LISTEN Emily! Can’t you see that Ezra is still up to his neck in shady behavior!!! He has been out of town so much, mysteriously buys the Brew even though he is jobless, and he is just too shifty eyed and fidgety to be trusted! Oh well, she trusts him anyway and goes with him to James Neilan’s office. How ironic is it that Neilan was the attorney that gave Hanna the envelope from Mona in the Christmas episode? They go to his office but only Ezra goes inside. He thinks Neilan is working for A, and when he demands that he tell him who he is working for or tell the police….the camera cuts outside to Emily who has been joined by Aria and when never learn what Neilan says. As soon as Ezra leaves Neilan jumps in his car and of course the liars follow him to a remote gated property equipped with cameras. Hmm…. this place looks familiar. Yes, I think the PLLs have partied there in the past!
When Ezra sees the text from Andrew, “Congrats on killing the test, beautiful” on Aria’s phone it slows he and Aria down. But Emily shows us that she is no longer the weakest link, as she is the only one that gets through the gate before it closes. She searches the garbage and hits the Jackpot when she finds a pizza receipt with the name Varjak and the phone number 727 242 7839. Compare that number to the Letters on you phone’s key pad and you will find a major clue!!! (or just check out my blog at cdjack11cdjack11.tumblr.com where I re-blogged an anonymous blogger who shared how another blogger cracked the code!) Emily then spies Neilen taking money from a safe while getting instructions from someone (Varjak??) on the phone. Great job Emily!!!
Back at the Women’s Correctional facility Alison’s jail cell gets trashed and the words Take The Plea are painted on her wall. That’s not all. The one who bullied so many in the past gets bullied prison style as she is burned on one arm with an iron in the laundry room and is cut on the other. This really scares Ali! She calls her lawyer and asks if she can be moved to a less dangerous facility if she take the plea.
Before I conclude with the saddest news ever to air on PLL let me share some good news: Ezria broke up!!!! Get your life, Aria!!! I know you love him, but please stay away from Slim Shady!!! He may not be A, but I feel he is still lying to you all about some big things.
It is with a heavy heart that I must share that the last couple standing, my OTP (One True Pairing), is now separated by the bars of a jail cell. Caleb was right by Hanna’s side when she took his advice to share all the evidence she had on A with Lt. Tanner. Of course, just as she is ready to meet with Tanner, A remotely hacks her phone and removes all the evidence! (Later Em and Aria’s phones are erased too)
When Hanna sees Ali in jail, she gives her the Stare of Death!!!
But, wait a minute Hanna, Ali did not take the plea after all. Ladies and gentlemen, Alison DiLaurentis has turned a corner. Instead of lying and giving up her friend, she has decided to go to trial. With just two more episodes and then the season finale, I think we better all strap in folks. This is going to be one wild A ride! Until next time, remember to keep you friends close and your secrets closer!!!
Pretty Little Liars: "Pretty Isn't the Point" Review
Pretty Little Liars
Season 5.20
“Pretty Isn’t the Point”
Previously on Pretty Little Liars…
Aria continues to be tutored by Andrew and once again enlists his help in following Mike. Spencer assists Jonny in retrieving what is rightfully his. Emily meets the third part of the triangle and helps Hanna prepare for a scholarship pageant. This week’s highlight scene is definitely Mike’s big reveal!
When Talia’s husband Eric stops by the New Brew, he tells Emily that he doesn’t mind if Talia experiments and has a one time thing with Emily. This makes Emily realize that Mrs. Mendoza has told her husband a different story from the one she told Em. Thank goodness! Finally Emily comes to her senses and tells Talia she is not into girls to be trendy!!!
While tutoring Aria, Andrew witnesses Mike being very aggressive toward his sister. Aria has already asked Andrew to follow Mike to find out if he is meeting someone at the gym. What Andrew learns and later tells Aria is that Mike hid something in a tree in the woods behind Mona’s house.
Spencer and Jonny are having coffee at Hollis when they see Toby. Toby is still distant and very rigid with Spencer. When she tries to suggest that they get together later, Toby says he can’t. As Spence and Jonny walk home, Jonny spots his rabbit vandalism artwork in the window of an art gallery. This leads to the two of them breaking into the gallery that night to get Jonny’s paintings. Officer Toby finds them at a nearby gas station and arrests Jonny. However, Toby tells Spencer that Tanner is still watching her and trying to use their relationship to get information on Spencer. He tells Spence to walk away and gives her a stay out of jail card.
The episode’s title and most of its scenes are devoted to Hanna’s scholarship pageant dreams. She hires a pageant coach who asks Hanna a few questions from last year’s pageant like, “how would you reverse the extinction of today’s endangered species”, and “what is your opinion about our countries current foreign policies?” I found it really interesting that Hanna has been admitted to some very prestigious colleges, but can’t think of a single response to these questions. She finally tells her coach that she can dance for her pageant talent and enlists Emily to be her dance instructor for the weekend. So we get to watch her practice the dance that Em choreographed to “Bang Bang”. When she finds out that her stepsister, Kate, is enrolled in the same pageant Hanna becomes very angry. Later on she shows her coach her routine and her anger morphs her dance moves into something I just don’t understand.
Her coach was very blunt and may have come across as a Gargon, but she was right. Poor Hanna! A set you up again, because Kate wasn’t signed up for the pageant.
Aria goes to Mona’s backyard at night to find out what Mike stashed in the tree. She finds a foiled packet that holds a tube of blood. Mike catches her in the act and tells her that the blood belongs to MONA!!! (Congrats to all the bloggers who correctly nailed the fact that Mona was saving her blood to fake her death!) Mike confirms that he walked in on Mona and saw all the blood that she had harvested in the mini fridge in her bedroom. A wanted Ali behind bars and Mona had to fake her death to prove her loyalty to A. She planned to take A down and return to Rosewood and be a hero to all the Liars.
Mike was suppose to meet Mona on several occasions, but Mona never showed up and he fears that A double-crossed her and killed her. Mike only had one vial of Mona’s blood as her promise to return to him. This scene really touched me. Mike and Mona really loved each other! (I ship Mikona!!!)
When Aria shares what she’s learned with the girls, they realize that they are partly to blame for Alison being in jail and debate whether they should inform Ali about Mona’s plan. Meanwhile, in the closing A scene we see the black hooded one in Mike’s bedroom with a wrench heading toward Mike’s new exercise equipment. Let’s hope that Mike only works out at the gym for a while. Until next time Liars! Keep your friends close and your secrets closer!!!
"Bin of Sin" Review
Pretty Little Liars
Season 5.17
“Bin of Sin"
This week’s episode of Pretty Little Liars put a great deal of added stress on many relationships. If it was A’s plan to divide and conquer, he/she/shim was successful with Ezria, Spoby, and Hannah/Spence. However, ain’t no mountain high enough, valley low enough, or jail cell wide enough to keep Caleb from Hanna! Awww Haleb!!!
Aria finally tells Ezra about her letter to Jackie that described how she squandered her high school experience with an older guy. After reading the letter Ezra tells her it was a brilliant move because it got her into Talmadge. Later he recants and tells her she should consider leaving him and moving on to enjoy her college experience. This is the best advice I’ve heard all season. Leave him Aria! He’s probably hiding something else from you and sees this as a way to separate from you before you find out the truth! (This relationship just bugs me...I have no tolerance for older men dating high school girls!!!) Maybe Aria is starting to see the light through her yearbook.
Meanwhile, Talia finally lets Emily know she is interested in her. Nothing that we didn’t already know Talia!
But wait, the episode is called the Bin of Sin! So when Caleb, Spence, Emily, and Aria tell Hanna to leave the barrel alone, Hanna takes matters into her own hands. She researches, purchases all the needed equipment, and recruits Caleb to help her break into the storage unit and remove all the evidence of Mona’s murder. Surprise!!! A has already removed everything except the barrel. As Haleb walks out to get the dolly to transport the barrel they run into Tanner and Toby who are coming to check out unit 1017 too. Busted!!! (good thing you returned everything to your blue bag Hanna!)
So what’s inside the barrel?!?! When Tanner and Toby open it, the smell is too much for Toby, and Tanner sends him out to call the HazMat team. That’s when she finds the droplets of blood beside the barrel. Hmmm....what did that note Alison found inside her orange jumpsuit say? Oh yes, “your friends will be joining you soon”. Well it looks like Hanna could be first in line. Remember how easy it was for A to get Hanna’s O negative blood on the Ouji board?
Meanwhile, Spencer, Aria, and Emily follow Mona’s Lo-Jacked computer. It leads them to an old ice cream factory that is full of little clues. The ice cream clown logo is very reminiscent of the clown A had in his/her/shim’s lair. The dead rat that Emily finds with the freeze dried nuts reminded me of the dead rat that was found in Paige’s locker. But the biggest find was the computer that was in the freezer playing a video of Hanna telling Caleb all about her plan to break into the storage unit. So the computer was A’s way of spying on Hanna through her own computer. Of course as soon as Sparia grabbed the computer to leave, the Black Hooded One locks them in the freezer and turns on the liquid nitrogen. This was by far the scariest and most gut wrenching scene of the night. Thank God for Emily’s quick thinking and physical strength that got them out just in time!!! But of course they leave the computer in the freezer. Liars have you learned nothing in 5 seasons!!!???
Now let’s wrap this episode up with the rest of the relationship tension. When Hanna and Caleb hear about their video on Mona’s/A’s computer Hanna tells Caleb he should stay away from her because A is trying to take her down. But Caleb assures her that will never happen....even if they both go to jail. HALEB = Solid as a rock!!!
Hanna confronts Spencer about the day’s events and asks her when Toby’s job became more important than his friends. In an argument that resembles a Spencer/Alison clash of words, Spencer yells “you can’t blame this on Toby!” But Spencer and Toby may be the relationship destined to crack under A’s pressure. Toby calls Spencer and lies to her about his whereabouts and refuses to tell her what they found in the barrel. Cue the final A scene please... Guess whose fingerprints Black Hoodie finds when he/she/shim returns to the factory? Now there is evidence that can be used against all four liars!
This episode did not answer many questions, but it sure did leave us with a lot of clues to investigate. As always, until next time Liars keep your friends close and your secrets closer!