Pretty Little Liars - Season 3 Episode 22 - Recap and Review - Will the Circle Be Unbroken?

Leave it to Spencer Hastings (Troian Bellisario) to make a trip to a mental institution look like a three-day vacation on the Disney Cruise. I chose the cruise because I’ve come to the realization that cruises are the worst. Pretty Little Liars took us back to Radley to visit a faux-nuts-o Spencer hanging with a super-fly orderly, brushing up on her piano skills, and playing cards against herself during “Will the Circle Be Unbroken?” Only Spencer Hastings is truly competition for Spencer Hastings. Is that kind of self-deprecating competitiveness enough to drive someone to snap?

The episode opened with maniacal Mona (Janel Parrish) glancing over at Hanna (Ashley Benson), Aria (Lucy Hale), and Emily (Shay Mitchell) by using her compact mirror. Girl needs a life, if you ask me. What are her college plans?  The trio of Liars were busy scavenging for Spencer, who’d been dodging their calls, only to run into a frantic Melissa (Torrey Devitto). Spencer’s big sis was worried sick over her sister’s disappearance. The Liars were shocked to learn that Spencer’s absence this time wasn’t just a result of her bad breakup, but rather, a genuine vanishing.

Spencer, meanwhile, was enjoying her first hours at Radley Sanitarium. All the tapioca she could eat and the opportunity to be Jane Doe, at least for a little while, isn’t that all Spencer could ask for? An opportunity to use her witty humor without having to worry about aggravating a possible A-Team member, a stuck-up relative, or, worse yet, the captain of the mathletes. Spencer pulled a joker card and smirked down; friend or foe, Spence?

Spencer was under three days worth of observations, through which she’d be declared “perfectly fine/ adequately bitchy teen” or “absolute loon/ occasional Shakespearean fool.” Guess who’d be running the observations? Good ol’ Dr. Sullivan (Annabeth Gish) would be determining whether or not Spencer was fit to go on ruling as Queen of Rosewood in Ali’s (Sasha Pieterse) stead. It looked like smooth sailing for Spencer unless, of course, she were to self-sabotage herself or come to the realization that she were actually insane. Dr. Sullivan questioned why Spencer would play dumb and allow herself to be treated like a mental patient. Spencer, tired of the A-games, figured she had nothing left to live for now that she’d found Toby dead. At least she’d no longer need to worry about whether Toby was playing A to protect her or just the worst boyfriend imaginable. Spencer blamed herself for Toby’s death regardless.

Ashley (Laura Leighton) had been dodging her boyfriend Ted since she probably killed Wilden (Bryce Johnson). Hanna took it upon herself to hookup a coffee date between the two, forcing her mother out of her shell. Hanna would even accompany Ashley on the date, at least offering to pay for her own coffee. Surprise! The church is almost done thanks to Caleb’s crooked father and, hey y’all, there’s Wilden! What a shock that was, huh? Wilden, looking sharp as ever, popped in on Ashley’s makeshift date to rattle her chain.

I forgot that Ezra (Ian Harding) had been ghost writing! What a creepy job title for someone who is probably an A. Money was tight for Fitz, and Aria, in desperation, decided to talk to her father, Byron (Chad Lowe), about helping him find a teaching job. Byron was hesitant to help the teacher he still recognizes as the freaky adult who swooned his teenage daughter in between class periods. Still, things would end up getting a little diabolical on his part, as they often do. If I were Aria, I would have went with, “Dad, remember when your girlfriend drugged me for a week, attacked me with a piece of glass, and locked me in the basement? Get my squeeze a damn job.”

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After speaking with Ella (Holly Marie Combs), the two decided that helping Fitz was an all-around great idea. With a new family and new responsibilities, a stable job could create a stable family between them, pushing little Aria out into the cold world of prom-time singledom. Could she even take Ezra to prom to begin with? I’m betting on little Fitz Wesley.

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Melissa had discovered Spencer’s whereabouts through Dr. Sullivan. Feeling responsible, Melissa broke down in tears, cursing her own failure as a her sister’s guardian. Maybe Spencer was just crazy and not a boyfriend stealer? Whatever makes you feel better Melissa. Emily led the hunt for Hastings among the Liars, and she was happy to discover via Melissa that Spencer was alive, if a bit "unwell." At The Brew, the girls discussed the Spencer situation, realizing that they were powerless until after her evaluation. Only family was allowed to visit her until then. Nobody trusted Melissa to do anything genuinely nice for Spencer, so tension ran high. Emily managed to track down Dr. Sullivan and learned that whatever “body” Spencer found in the woods that night hurled her over the edge.

Once word spread that Spencer had gone through some sort of breakdown, Ashley made plans to cancel her trip to New York. Apparently, she was scheduled to attend a seminar with her bank that could’ve landed her a position in New York and a one-way ticket out of Rosewood. Hanna pressured Ashley into following through with her plans, even with Wilden on the loose once again. A had been harassing Hanna with photos from her mother’s “accident,” and she wanted nothing more than for Ashley to head out of town. Promising to stay with Emily, Ashley gave in to Hanna. After explaining things to Ted, she might have had seeds of second thoughts planted in her head. It seemed as though Ted had started to realize her issues with Wilden, as he questioned ulterior motives for leaving Rosewood permanently.

Spencer got another chance to speak with her buddy Eddie over the swallowing of some super-pills meant to kick any forest-born infections out of her body before her final tests would commence. Hastings can't get sick, Eddie. What she discovered led her to continue prying; his nametag read “E. Lamb,” the same name Toby had used to enter Radley. Trusting her new friend, Spencer managed to discover that the security system had to be re-encrypted following several breaches. Spencer confided in Eddie surrounding Toby’s use of his nametag, and Mona’s involvement in it all. Eddie looked none too pleased with Mona to begin with. Spencer learned of someone on the inside allegedly helping the two with their mission. Could it have been Wren? Next week, the preview reveals Spencer discovering a nametag for Cece Drake!

Lucky you, Spencer, you’re in Mona’s old room! The way Spencer looked around the room initially made it seem as though Mona were some sort of evil spirit, like the joint was haunted. Then I realized that she was just digging for some semblance of a clue. She found it in the form of a desk carving; “Will the circle be unbroken?” Flashback to church! Ugh, I don’t feel like going to mass during my weekly Pretty Little Liars time. That's what American Idol  is for nowadays! The flashback featured Spencer and Alison attending mass, watching as a once-nerdy Mona danced like no one was watching to the church tune named in her future carving. Spencer learned of Alison’s diaries, journals meant for her friends, should something happen to her.

Let me interrupt this recap to inform you that Emily met Olympic gold medalist Missy Franklin this week thanks to Paige’s former flame, Shawna. Fun?

Spencer continued her piano playing while Eddie listened along. He was curious. Toby is an uncommon name, at least on this show, and he’d only met one in his lifetime. Get out more, man. His name is Toby, not Yoda. The Toby he knew would visit his institutionalized mother. Could it be the same Toby? Toby Cavanaugh? Probably, or this scene was a waste.

In the school bathroom, the remaining three Liars discussed the Spencer situation. What if one of them finally snapped? Being smart does have its setbacks when it comes to recognizing the dire situation of being harassed to death, right? How crazy of Spencer! What a weak link! Mona stumbled upon the brainstorming session and pretended not to know about Spencer’s recent stint at Radley. Aria was pissed. Without Spencer in the mix to complete Sparia, she’s just, well, Aria.

Aria: “You’re going to wish you broke your neck when you fell off that cliff."

Wow, Aria, I’ve never loved you more. Pull her hair. Ah, too late. Aria was called down to the office for an impromptu meeting. Byron had met with Ezra and agreed to help him find work. Unfortunately, he found him work within the Rosewood school district as a substitute teacher. Meaning, Aria wouldn’t be permitted to see him any longer. She, obviously, attempted to cover up her relationship as well as possible here, but the clay is dry on this one.

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Ashley dropped Hanna off at Emily’s house, and literally, as she pulled off the street, Wilden sped up to meet Hanna. Apparently, all the officer wanted was his car back. Fair enough, dude. You look well enough. Too bad the car is busy taking a permanent dive. Strange, but I really like Hanna and Wilden interacting. They can bond over getting hit by cars now! If some of these characters could just swallow their pride, they’d have plenty more answers.

Mona decided to visit Spencer at Radley, if only to twist the knife. Spencer had been feeling down enough, questioning exactly what she had seen and realizing that she never caught a glimpse of the body’s face. Mona wanted to give Spencer a second chance to join her cause, citing all that had gone down since her reveal as A as reason enough. Mona denied killing Toby, duh, but she also admitted to having several of Alison’s diaries. The Liars had been piecing together a puzzle without ever seeing the picture on the box. As a hint, Mona informed Spencer of the fact that Ali was never pregnant.

Mona: “You’re not crazy, you’re as sane as I am.”

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In the end, Spencer opened up to Dr. Sullivan and a group of patients. Where do you go when you lose everything? Who do you become? What happens if you just keep going? Spencer imagined her three friends staring back at her in place of the group, and for a moment, her sanity was actually called into question. They just don’t know who she is anymore. We still don’t know how far Spencer has actually fallen down the rabbit hole, but we know she’s in a bad place. One thing was clear, Spencer wasn’t being released anytime soon. Vanilla or tapioca?

The episode closed with A taking his collection of souvenirs on the road with a new Winnebago! Cool, A!

What did you all think of Pretty Little Liars Season 3 Episode 22, “Will the Circle Be Unbroken?” Will Spencer use her "crazy"-time wisely? Is Wilden friend or foe? Will Spencer join the A-Team as a double agent? Assuming Toby isn't actually dead, does this mean that Jason is no more?

Thanks for reading my Recap and Review of Pretty Little Liars Season 3 Episode 22, “Will the Circle Be Unbroken?”