Last night’s episode 19, “Shadow Play” was another great episode of PRETTY LITTLE LIARS and we have our weekly review for you. The episode starts normal enough but then again I guess that depends on your definition of normal. Our girls are down one since Aria is in New Jersey visiting Byron no wait that was a lie, she is in her little cabin in the woods with EzrA. They enter EzrA’s classroom to snoop around a bit and see if they can find anything A related, which if it is in there either makes him the stupidest tormentor in the history of television or makes him smarter than the average bear. Emily and Spencer get to work on his desk, while Hannah goes snooping in his filing cabinets,because psychos always keep their manifesto in with their lesson plans. Hannah is going on and on about the coffee mugs she keeps pulling out and how she would fail students who gave those to her when low and behold Spencer comes across the diary EzrA reclaimed from them a few episodes back. Emily wants Spencer to tell her it isn’t what it looks like. Hannah conforms it is. They sneak out with it, and before they can leave they hear footsteps, footsteps that belong to Mona who is ALS,of sneaking and taking stuff out of Ezra’s room. Loaded down with files she is.
Back over at Spencer’s the girls are debating all kinds of fun stuff, but the best back and forth involves Shana and Paige. Hannah brings up the fact that she dated Paige at one point, Emily gets all huffy puffy about it. Emily says so what do you want me to do interrogate my girlfriend about her summer fling. Hannah says basically. Emily tries to shut that down with the old Mona/Fitz connection, but our girl Hannah refuses to be dissuaded. Emily thinks they found the diary way to easily, Spencer ask her what she is thinking, Emily says what if A didn’t put it there. Then Hannah delivers the best line of the night “Emily get real, this is all about the A ness (Anus) of things.” Spencer agrees but admits she wouldn’t have said it that way. Hannah takes that as a compliment.
Aria and EzrA are headed home. Aria tells him she has a lot of homework to do. EZrA ask if it’s creative writing homework. Aria tells him she will like what she is working on now, she had a hero but hero’s aren’t what they used to be anymore so she got fascinated with a villain. EzrA is on the edge of his car seat he wants to know if her villain loses in the end, Aria isn’t sure yet,sometimes the villains win. EzrA agrees sometimes. You know what makes that convo so great? Next week is when Aria finds out her hero is a villain.
Spencer is sitting at home with a black and white film noir playing in the background looking through Alison’s diary. She starts to drift off but naps out of it and after what is about a second of thought she gets into her purse and takes out her perk me ups. Spencer walks over to the counter and pours herself a glass of fancy bottled water and sinks a pill. She starts watching the movie and she the gun goes off she looks away and when she looks back up she is on her own little film noir. Toby walks in looking all Elliott Ness. Spencer is still slightly confused, Toby wants to know how he is going to help her if she doesn’t tell him what she knows about Alison, Spencer plays dumb. Toby knows she is lying. Spencer tells him he needs to trust her, his gaze goes over to the counter where a bottle of pills is sitting. Spencer tells him they help her focus, Toby ask her who is kidding who.
Spencer is buying a coffee that EzrA pays for. He apologizes for how he acted the other day and Spencer tells him she isn’t could with criticism and always perceives it as a threat. EzrA can relate. EzrA ask her if she has been back to the Hart and the Huntsmen. Spencer tells him not since she saw him there. EzrA then offers to buy her lunch or dinner there sometime. Spencer says maybe. EzrA tells her to let him know what’s good for her. Spencer says she will. EzrA says promise. Spencer say’s promise. EzrA then tells her cross your heart, hope to die. Spencer just walks right past him.
Emily and Hannah are in the bathroom talking, Emily wears some pretty fancy stuff to school I must say. Hannah tells Emily the more she sees of men the more she wants to get a dog and to bad there isn’t another alternative. Emily has a little smile in her face and says to bad. Hannah then turns to Spencer and starts talking about EzrA buying her cup of coffee.spencer tells her he left a 10 cent tip. Hanna: “On a cup of coffee? What a waste.” Emily says she is glad Aria is done with him. Spencer says is she. Hannah wants to know if Spencer thinks Aria started back up with EzrA and didn’t tell them. Spencer ask for a show of hands of one of them who hasn’t lied about something romantic to the rest of them. Emily and Hannah both look away. Spencer rest her case. Emily wants to know what they should do. Spencer decides that Hannah being the president of the man haters club should be the one to get the dirt on EzrA, Hannah is all in. Which makes sense seeing as how she has been on her A game all season. Aria walks in and they ask her a bunch of questions. Spencer ask if she made it sown to the Erie Canal museum. It was closed. The bell rings and they head out. Hannah looks at Spencer after Aria is out of earshot and says you really have been to the Erie Canal museum haven’t you. Spencer: “Twice.”
It’s night and Spencer is coming down the stairs with a phone that has got to hold the world record for longest phone cord ever. Spencer ask the operator if she has dialed Edgewood 50139. The operator tells her yes. Spencer confirms it’s the Fitzgerald Art Foundation before she hangs up. She is about to pop a pill when Toby walks in. Spencer what’s to know if she has ever heard of knocking. Toby: “I’ve heard of it, I just don’t subscribe to the practice.”Toby tells her those pills aren’t going to help her figure this out and that she already has most of the pieces. Far out its a dream within reality within another dream. Spencer tells Toby to tell her how everything fits together. Toby: ” I thought you were the smart one.” Spencer tells him she is the smart one. Toby looks up and notices something and ask Spencer when that got here. Spencer turns around and looks, it’s a portraits of Alison, Spencer has no idea when it got there. Toby then tells her all those pills Spencer not good. Guess they made her imagine the portrait.
EzrA is standing on his terrace looking around when someone hands him a drink, that someone being Mona. I know you didn’t think it was going to be Aria. Or did you? EzrA stands there a brief moment then heads in, Mona follows and closes the curtains behind her. Hannah sees it all. She shakes her head in disgust and says men.
Spencer is now siting in a chair reading from Alison’s diary. She looks behind her to see Emily and Paige acting out what she is reading. Paige ask Emily why she is asking her about Shana now, it was along time ago. Emily says not that long. Paige tells her she told her what happened and the she apologizes. Emily tells her she isn’t asking her to apologize. Paige wants to know why she is asking her. Emily of course can’t say why. Paige tells Emily she thought of her when she was with Shana. Emily reaches out and takes her hand, she quickly lets it go when she notices the man behind the counter watching them. So I guess their relationship is a no no is Spencer’s imaginary world. Paige says maybe she should go. Emily offers to go first. Paige tells her no because she can’t stand the thought of watching Emily walk away from her. Paige gets up and leaves, and Emily watches.
Mona is walking down the street and Hannah is following her which Mona realizes and leads her into a trap. Hannah turns the corner and Mona isn’t in front of her,that’s because she is behind her. Mona ask Hanna if she lost something.
Spencer’s phone rings and it’s Mona. Mona tells Spencer there is a blonde package waiting for her at apartment 3B and that she knows the address. Spencer says Mona. Mona tells her she better hurry up while she is still breathing. They both hang up and Spencer jumps out of bed.
Spencer shoes up at EzrA’s to get Hannah. Mona opens the door and lets her in, Hannah is siting on his couch. Spencer ask her if she is alright. Hanna tells her never better. EzrA tells Spencer when you put a tell on someone you shouldn’t leave to amateur. Hanna: ” I’m not as used to walking the streets as Mona is.” Mona tells Hannah to come over here and say that. EzrA tells Mona to fix their guest a drink. EzrA tells the it’s his own juice blend, it made him what he is today. I totally get the Jekyll/ Hyde reference and how he drank something to. Spencer thought he only drank Board Shorts Ale. EzrA tells her when he can get it. Spencer ask Hannah if she is thirsty, she isn’t. Spencer tells her to get up,so they can leave. As they turn to go EzrA ask her why she had Hannah on his doorstep. Spencer tells him he peaked her interest. EzrA ask about what. Spencer says it involves Aria, what about her EzrA ask. Spencer ask if they are back together. EzrA tells her true love, you just can’t kill it. Mona giggles. Spencer tells him to leave Aria alone. EzrA tells Spencer if that’s what she wants why doesn’t she just tell Aria about him. Tell her who Spencer thinks he is, that that should fix everything. He goes on to say she hasn’t and why not. Hannah tells Spencer to lets go. EzrA tells Spencer the reason she hasn’t is she isn’t sure, she isn’t sure of anything she is in over her head and she knows it. Spencer tells him she knows what she is doing. Ezra tells her to look around her, look where she is right now and to tell him she isn’t cracking up. He moves so they can leave. Mona stands in the way, EzrA tells her to let them go. Hannah grabs the carrot out of the glass and says thanks for the buffet as they walk out.
Mona: ” I want you to know, that was the last carrot stick.” Hilarious.
Spencer and Hannah are in Spencer’s car. Hannah wants to know why men always turn on you. Spencer rightly points out its not all men. Hannah wonders if it’s because they wear hats and the blood gets stuck in their heads. Spencer thanks Hannah for getting her out of the apartment. Spencer tells Hannah she traced the number to the Fitzgerald Art Foundation. Hannah wonders if she thinks Alison called that number. Spencer tells her she is the one that works the switchboard, so Hannah can be the one to find out.
Aria is showing Paige how to use a camera. Aria is surprised when Paige tells her she is going on a canoe trip and that Emily is going with her. Aria says she didn’t think Emily was the tomboy type. Aria then says she used to be a tomboy but when she fell in love everything changed, she guesses she just grew out of it. Paige says that’s what they say. Aria leaves, Paige sits thinking.
EzrA and Toby are having a drink together. EzrA tells him they have something in common. EzrA tells him he has some information that will help him, Alison DiLaurentis is alive and Spencer knows how to find her. Toby tells him Alison is dead. EzrA wants to know who says.
Spencer is back at home and is about to take a pill when Alison starts talking about her portrait. Spencer walks over to her. Spencer wants to know why she didn’t tell them about EzrA. Alison is talking about the painting. Spencer wants to know if she was watching if she saw him go after Aria and why didn’t she warn her. Alison tells her no woman has ever been able to warn another woman about a man. Spencer ask her if he is who she is afraid of, if that’s why she can’t comeback, and can she just get one straight answer from her about anything. Alison ask her what would be the fun of that. Spencer tells her she is just trying to figure it out. Alison tells her she has all the pieces so why can’t she put them together. Maybe she needs a little more help from those special pills,does she have enough and what happens if Spencer runs out. Alison laughs, Spencer runs over to grab the pulls and they fall into the garbage disposal she panics and tries in vain to get them out. Toby comes in and pulls her arm out and tells her to snap out of it. Spencer tells him to look,but of course when he does Alison is already gone. Spencer collapses in his arms.
Tony takes Spencer into a interrogation room and tells her to sit down. Toby ask if Alison is dead or alive. Spencer says she is dead, everybody knows that. Toby tells her that isn’t what she said before. Spencer tells him she was confused. Toby ask if she means confuses about her being dead or confused about lying to him. Spencer says just confused. Toby: “Spencer doesn’t get confused. Spencer’s the smart one.” Toby tells her maybe she is smart enough to get away with murder, or maybe smart enough to help Alison fake the whole thing, or maybe Alison tricked her into helping. Spencer considers that thought for a moment.
Aria is having a drink with EzrA. Aria tells EzrA how she always thought champagne was the most sophisticated thing in the world. EzrA tells her it isn’t she is. Reallyls him she wants to tell her friends about them. EzrA tells her that’s a big secret and ask if she can trust them. Aria tells him she trust them with her life. EzrA ask if she knows everything about them and all their secrets. Aria says she knows all the important ones. EzrA tells Aria that he bets he knows one of her secrets. Aria tells him she bets he doesn’t. EzrA leans into her and whispers in her ear Alison’s alive.
Hannah is working the switchboard. She goes back to a phone call with someone named Mabel. She them reminds her about three sailors. Hannah tells her about the Fitzgerald “outfit” and tells her they use a all night answering service and she wants to know which one.
Paige is looking out the window and talking about there being so many people in the city but feeling lonely. Emily tells Paige she will never let her be alone. Paige tells her she is scared, Emily says she is to. Paige ask her what happens if people find out, Emily tells her the they will be insanely jealous of her, Paige says of me, then Emily says of us. They share a kiss, a kiss that leads to them half dressed on Paige’s bed.
Hannah calls the answering service and tells them that her boss is Mr. Fitzgerald and that she lost a very important phone number, she tells them the call was made after hours and that it would be from Alison.
Toby is still with Spencer. Toby: “Secrets just aren’t secrets, there weapons, things you keep in your pocket till you need them.” Toby tells her he learned that from Alison and she did to. Spencer tells,him he learned something else to, that A just didn’t come out of the woodwork, a monster lie that you would have to take care of it, nurture it. That’s just what Alison did, she was feeding the beast with every dirty trick, every lie she got them to tell, it only made A stronger. Toby ask her if she knows who A is. Spencer tells him she isn’t sure. That it was Mona and the it wasn’t Mona, maybe she is just looking into another mask. Toby tells Spencer Alison is alive. Spencer ask who told him that, Toby tells her never mind and that she knows where to find her, Spencer tells him she doesn’t. Toby tells her she has the book and to think about it. Spencer tells him she doesn’t want to think about it that she is tired and she just wants to sleep. Toby helps her up and looks at her and says down these mean streets a girl must go, who herself is not mean. They kiss,
Aria is sitting in the coffee shop and Spencer walks up. Spencer ask Aria if she is alright. Aria says if she tells her something she can’t give her the “look.” Aria tells her she has been seeing EzrA again, and that everything that has happened with him has never happened with anyone before it was like a story and it was perfect. Aria tells her the story is changing. Spencer tells her she has something to tell her but before she can Hannah walks up and tells them she found Alison.
The girls are at a show club looking for Alison. Hannah tells them the number she matched came from that club. Spencer says that sounds like Alison, hiding in plain isn’t and doing three shows a night. Spencer opens a door and goes in. The girls are in addressing room. Aria says it looks like someone threw a grenade into a room full of Rockettes. As they are looking around Alison comes walking in. She ask if anyone saw them come in there. Spencer doesn’t think so. Alison tells them to get the hell out, she told them no to come look for her. Aria tells her things have changed. Alison tells her maybe for you but not for me. She wants to know if they are trying to get her killed, she points at Spencer and says this one already did once. Hmmmmm….I wonder if that part of the secret Spencer is supposed to be keeping. Spencer tells her not to talk to them like that. Alison says she bets Spencer would love it if something happened to her them she wouldn’t have to worry about dropping back down to second place if something happens to her. Hannah ask Alison what is wrong with her. Alison wants to know if they are sick and tired of Spencer ordering them around. Emily tells her she is out of line. Alison looks at Emily and say am I Emily, am I really. It’s time you all started thinking for yourselves. Spencer agrees and tells Alison to see how long he’s last without them to help her. Aria ask her what she is talking about. Spencer tells Alison she is setting them up for something, that she doesn’t know what it is but it’s a set up. That their supposed to be some kind of decoy for her and take all the heat, because she only tells them what she wants them to know. Alison turns to Aria and ask her if she has told you yet. Aria says told me what. Alison looks back at Spencer. Again Spencer goes to tell her but this time a gun shot stops her. Alison takes off running and they all follow her it’s a dead end. EzrA calls Aria, she goes to go out, the girls try to stop her without telling her he is A. When they can’t tell her Alison says no guts. Aria leaves and walks towards the figure standing in the front of the room.
When she gets there a lighter sparks and we see it’s Toby. He tells them they don’t have much time he only hit him once but it was hard, he grabs Aria’s arm and takes her towards the car, the other three follow. Spencer ask where Alison is, Emily tells her she is gone and to get in. Toby starts the car and they take off. Aria ask Spencer why Toby hit EzrA but she doesn’t answer her. Emily says that Alison was right nine of us have any guys. Toby ask her if she has figured it out yet that the car is almost out of gas. Spencer tells him that she is tired. Hannah tells her that they all are, Emily tells her to get on with it son they can all live their lives, Aria tells her no matter who gets hurt. Spencer puts her head down. Toby tells her the truth is in the pages, not the book but the pages. Spencer tells him it’s the same thing, Toby tells her it’s not.
Spencer snaps out of it and goes and looks at the pages, she notices something.
Spencer calls Emily and Hannah over and tells them they were supposed to find the book,that there are changes in it. Emily thinks it’s because A thought they would think they were smart for finding it and that they wouldn’t notice the changes. Hananh says so EzrA left that book for us to find. Spencer says which means he knows we know. Emily tries Aria again when they don’t get a answer they head over there.
Emily calls her from outside her house,before the call goes through Hannah tells them to come look in the window. EzrA is in the house with Aria and she kisses him. The girls just stare.
Back in the film noir, A has sent a telegram to Alison. ” Break a leg. Kisses, -A.”
THE END!
If you want a sneak peek video & synopsis of next week’s episode, “Free Fall” check out the preview of episode 20 below!
“Spencer is determined that it is finally time to tell Aria about what she has found out about Ezra, but Emily and Hanna are worried about what it could do to their friend. A wrench is thrown into the plan when Ezra tells Aria about his concern and suspicion of Spencer’s recent addiction problem. Now with Spencer’s credibility being questioned, can the girls trust what Spencer has been telling them about Ezra — could this all be a figment of Spencer’s tired brain or really just a clever ploy by Ezra to cover his tracks?”