Pretty Little Liars - Finale Recap: Liar, Liar, You're On Fire
Pretty Little Liars closed out its third season tonight with “Most dAngerous game,” an absolutely brilliantly baffling series of discoveries that led to even more questions. Duh, you’ve been watching this show for three seasons now. You know how this works, future A-Team members of America. I can’t tell if Spencer’s (Troian Bellisario) stint on the A-Team was either short lived or made incredibly permanent by the finale’s end, but I would have to give the award of “Most Valuable Liar” to Blondie. Hanna Marin (Ashley Benson) kicked some serious ass tonight, even capping off her stellar series of wins with getting the most credible look at ol’ Red Coat herself.
The episode opened with the grand return of Spencer Hastings from the loony bin. She remembered the difference between crumpets and english muffins. She’s going to make it after all. Spencer’s family decided to throw her a swanky soiree to celebrate her return from the brink of mental destruction, and all in the name of “exhaustion.” Taking notes from the playbook of young Hollywood, Hastings clan!
In reality, Spencer had concocted the plan all by her lonesome, as the A-Team’s newest recruit. I appreciated that Spencer changed her makeup regime to match her new status as a faux-villainess. Everything has to be black and heavy, like my heart! Troian Bellisario looks seriously good as an actually bad badass. As a reward for luring the other Liars to a secluded lodge location in the middle of, you guessed it, the woods, Mona (Janel Parrish) had promised Spencer that Toby (Keegan Allen) would show up at her fake shindig as a reward. Too bad, original A, Spencer doesn’t care what you want.
Ezra (Ian Harding) had put out the search for a babysitter, prompting Aria (Lucy Hale) to drudge up her time at the carnivale from Hell. Spencer, boggled that Aria hadn’t managed to glance her face a single time, probably began to realize that the A-Team didn’t have to meddle as meticulously careful as they’d assumed. Spencer was, well, desperate to get caught. Aria didn’t even think to probe Malcolm’s brain for clues as to who “Alison” actually was. In fact, she labeled Ezra’s kid as off limits entirely. Hanna took the flyer. What? She can use the cash!..
Ezra (Ian Harding) found himself back at Rosewood High, interviewing for a position, although he admitted to bombing it. Better luck next time, Fitz! Shawna (Bianca Lawson) also turned up again this week. Ugh, I thought this girl was going to be a one-off. Now here she is, all up in Emily’s (Shay Mitchell) grill. Shawna’s swim team required the use of Rosewood’s pool for practice.
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Guess who else rolled back into Rosewood? Jenna Marshall (Tammin Sursok) found herself back at home, in what had become an absolute hellhole. Mail! Mail everywhere! Jenna barked frantically over the phone about how the evidence, proof of Alison’s murder, I’m guessing, should have been taken care of. Someone was supposed to handle this while she was away! Don’t look now Jenna, although now you can actually look. Congrats on that again, by the way, but there’s a creepy A text on your phone with directions. Don’t worry, things will only get more confusing! Later, Jenna met with Shawna ( yes, her) in the park. This scene was very reminiscent of the one from last season’s finale, only this year we got to see her friend’s face. The two held hands and gabbed about everything from Jenna’s fresh eyes to their longing for one another. Is Jenna a secret lesbian or are these two just very close?
Byron (Chad Lowe), playing dumb to his involvement in the matter, warned Aria to prep a breakup speech for Ezra. He was offered the position at Rosewood. Aria met with Ezra on a sidewalk bench in town and pressured him to accept the job, whether he wanted to or not. Aria, I’m guessing, felt devastated, depressed, and probably tremendously relieved. Ezra fought a little, but there’s a child in the picture now, and Spencer stole him for a little while. Not that Ezra was privy to the kidnapping prior to getting dumped, but still.
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Later, the couple would reenact two scenes from the pilot episode. First, they had a moment similar to their kiss at Ali’s memorial service. Remember, Aria gives him a peck goodbye, and then Ezra pulls her back for the big kiss. Last time it was a kiss “hello.” This time, a kiss “adieu.” Well, at least until English class. Ezra would pop up, yet again, as Aria’s English teacher. Hey, they all kept the same seats! I’m not a total freak, I swear, I just happened to catch the pilot again a few days ago. I swear…
What’s that shady Malcolm about anyway?
Hanna: “Fast cars and fast girls?”
Ezra wasn’t too keen on Hanna’s interview etiquette, but she got the job anyway. “All aboard the Hanna express” is right!
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#TobyIsAlive. Let’s all say it in one universal groan! “We knoooow.” I love how Toby’s grand return began with:
Toby: “Hanna got the job.”
How absolutely terrible that Marin would babysit Ezra’s kid. Oops, it’s not Mona under that black hood. It’s not her waiting for you at the diner table. It’s Spencer, Toby, and she looks equal parts pissed and crazy. Spencer had gone behind Mona’s back, using information from A’s traveling lair, the Winnebago, and lured Toby to the diner to confront him before the Friday trap would go off. Toby immediately delved into his apology, a speech I’m sure he’d mentally rehearsed every night in the shower. He begged Spencer to believe that he’d only been faking helping Mona, and that, in reality, he’d been secretly protecting her the entire time. Spencer had taken to kidnapping to earn Mona’s trust, so she wasn’t leaping back into Toby’s arms just yet.
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That’s what creepy motel scenes are for! Toby took Spencer to a secret room off of Mona’s radar where he continued to plead for her forgiveness. When all else fails, cry. Cry, man! Liars love that stuff. Eventually, his explanation coupled with his emotion was enough to convince Spencer. What the hell, me too! Cue Lana Del Rey's "Ride" and start the makeup sex! Now you two just look like a bunch of sentimental goths.
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Hanna scared Malcolm into complying by convincing him that watching cartoons would rot his brain into a permanent stupor. Still, she seemed like a pretty fun babysitter! Hanna concocted a great game to discover the identity of the “Alison” who’d kidnapped the boy; “tell me if you know the girl in the picture on my cell.” Hanna came up short, until Malcolm asked her to toy around on her phone himself. Boom, a picture of Spencer and Alison popped up. Hanna, appropriately freaked out when Malcolm seemed to initially recognize Alison as "Alison," became appropriately shocked when he in turn pointed out Spencer.
Meanwhile, Emily had been out for a nighttime run, and she managed to stumble upon her own piece of the puzzle. After glimpsing Melissa Hastings (Torrey Devitto) knocking on Jenna’s window (I mean, the door was right there, Melissa.), she too peered inside. There, she witnessed Shawna, Jenna, and Melissa chatting it up about the murder evidence. We got to hear Melissa mention that “those bitches” were going to be at the lodge for Spencer’s fake party. Oh, get over it. It's not Ali and Spencer's fault that you can't hold down a fiancé.
Once Aria was filled in on all of these earth-shattering discoveries, she declared “game over.” Aria, come on! Continue? 10… 9… 8… Aria inserted a figurative fifty cents and the game would continue. In a matter of moments, she would reason that Spencer had been convinced to join the A-Team by Mona during her stint at Radley. Hanna, savvy to A’s ways, put on some rockin’ beats to cover their conversation. Hanna was a wo-man with a plan.
Spencer had shown up at the school for the swim meet. Amidst a sea of red clothes, the opposing team’s colors, Spencer caught a glimpse of that crafty Red Coat! Through the sea of other bodies, Spencer quickly meandered her way through the halls, chasing after her. That is, until Red Coat turned into the ladies room. There, Spencer would discover her identity for the first time. Red Coat was… Hanna Marin! Well, not really. Hanna knew that Spencer would only follow her if she were still searching for the identity of Red Coat. Emily and Aria stepped out from the stalls, realizing that Spencer was most likely still a Liar and not an A. Being a Liar is a good thing on this show! Being a liar is not. Capitalization does matter, teens.
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Spencer was beaming with excitement to confirm that Toby was alive and well. She’d only joined the A-Team to see Toby for herself. Spencer even admitted to sending Hanna the pic of herself with Alison so that she’d piece the puzzle together. As far as they knew, Mona was the only one to have discovered Red Coat’s true identity, and the plan was to use Spencer’s soiree as a trap for the original A.
That night the girls, Spencer aside, primped themselves up in order to appear as though they’d fallen for Mona’s plan to gather them. Toby recorded them as proof for Mona. Meanwhile, he and Spencer met with her at the lodge. The girls were running late, and this troubled Mona. Red Coat doesn’t like it when things go awry. They’d have to make it there before Red Coat could land in her private plane. Hmm, Alison took flying lessons! One thing was made clear here; Mona fears Red Coat. Red Coat was about to get “what she always wanted.”
The girls snuck in through a back window, and the plan was officially sent into motion. Toby got really scary there for a second when he offered to “take care of” Spencer.
Toby: “I SAID GET UP!"
My dog got up and left in shame.
In actuality, the plan was always for Spoby to get out first, while the other three girls cornered Mona. Mona, immediately jumped into panic mode and alerted the girls to their “big mistake.” The fear in her voice led us to believe her, at least somewhat. I sure as hell believed her when the lodge was lit on fire! The girls were locked inside with Mona as the lodge began to be engulfed in the blaze. How about that whole “Now I’ll never get to know who she is” moment from Mona? Aria was taken aback by the absurdity of it all. No one knew Red Coat’s identity.
Mona: “She’s everywhere. She’s nowhere.”
Actually, she's in the woods. Thankfully, Spencer and Toby were on the hunt. After hearing some commotion in the trees, the two would have to separate. Spencer was to find the Red Coat and catch a glimpse without being caught herself. The plane landed, and she began to tail the figure through the woods. Eventually, she caught a glimpse of what looked like Ali through the trees. Toby found himself knocked unconscious and left with a lighter in his hands. Uh oh, is he going to be framed for lighting the lodge on fire?
Meanwhile, the bodies of the girls were dragged from the burning building and left in the grass. One by one they came to, with Hanna glancing up at a clear shot at Red Coat’s face:
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Still, it was kind of like Déjà ho. As in, "Have I seen this bitch before?" Well, that certainly was Sasha Pieterse, but was it Alison? Mona came running and rambling, having seen her as well. The final blow to Red Coat’s secrecy came when the impeccable Spencer Hastings manifested from the pines. It was Alison. Probably.
On the drive home, the Liars and Mona caught up to speed. Mona had only met Red Coat when she was admitted to Radley. The girl offered her a way to come and go as she pleased and to work as her partner in crime. It seemed like a perfect deal, like a means back to the fun torturing Mona had done as the original A. As it turned out, Red Coat was more sadistic in nature, and Mona found herself under the mysterious woman’s control. Oh, she’d only appear to Mona in masked form. How did she get past Radley security like that? When Mona first asked Spencer to join the A-Team, was there even an A-Team?
The episode closed with the girls discovering Wilden’s recovered car. Covered in sludge and other gross lake stuff, the video of Ashley’s hit-and-run still played clearly enough. This time, it had additional footage tacked onto the end; footage of Jenna and Shawna carrying Wilden away from the scene. The Liars and Mona (!) received a final text from A, claiming those bitches as her own. Wow, one moment you’re rescued from an inferno by your dead best friend, and the next, it’s all, “Who’s in the trunk?” Maybe it was Alison's corpse! That could introduce the theory of the twin.
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The final scene featured Alison’s hand, once again, reaching from her burial sight in a flashback. This time, another hand reached out to pull her from the dirt.
What did you all think of the Pretty Little Liars Season 3 Finale, “Most dAngerous gAme”? Did episode 24 cap off a great season for you, or were you hoping for more? Is the A-Team over? Is everyone on the A-Team? What about the team of super-bitches? Do you think they murdered Alison or attempted to kill the girls? Does Alison have a twin? If so, who’s alive and who’s six feet under?
Thanks for reading my Recap and Review of the Pretty Little Liars Season 3 Finale, Episode 24, “Most dAngerous gAme”!
