All’s
well that ends well…so long as you don’t count PTSD-induced nightmares and
severe emotional scarring. The Liars recuperate in the hospital following their
rescue from Charles’s Dollhouse just as Toby tracks down Andrew Campbell and
takes him into custody. The physical threat may be over, but that doesn’t
reassure any of the girls in the midst of their mental recovery.
After
spending how much time trapped in her mock-bedroom in the Dollhouse, Hanna goes
Extreme Makeover: Bedlam Edition on
her actual bedroom upon returning home. Determined to rid herself of the tainted
association to the past few weeks of torture, she guts the entire space. Furniture,
wallpaper, and all. Her erratic behavior sparks concern amongst Caleb and Mrs.
Marin, but they understand where Hanna’s coming from. After her mother presses
for more information on what happened at the Dollhouse, Hanna finally gives a
glimpse into what the girls endured. Charles played hideous games on them all,
including making the Liars decide who got to have water each day over the
others.
While
still in the hospital, Sara Harvey (Charles’s other kidnapping victim) relays
her story to Emily on how she wound up in the Dollhouse. Having run away from
home two years ago, she found herself in a parking lot just outside Rosewood
when someone hit her upside the head. Next thing she knew, she awoke as a
prisoner in Charles’s lair. Mrs. Fields tries to help Emily cope, but it’s no
use. Emily refuses to seek therapy or even let a willing Paige return to
Rosewood. Having pushed everyone away, she takes her emotions out by attending
the gun range, against her mother’s wishes. Finally coming to terms that violence
won’t solve anything, she opens up to Mrs. Fields. Emily also finds an
unexpected visitor lurking outside her house late at night. She confronts the
stranger, only to find that it’s Sara Harvey. Apparently, Sara’s own mom wasn’t
so thrilled to have her daughter back, so the girl ran away once again.
Spencer
doesn’t exactly receive a warm welcoming when returning home either. After
having the best night sleep she’s had in ages at the hospital, Spencer revels
in the assurance that the anti-anxiety medication the doctors prescribed will
let that cycle continue. That peace of mind comes tumbling down like a house of
cards though when she discovers that Mrs. Hastings has intervened. Given
Spencer’s history of addiction, her mother refuses to allow the chance for her
daughter to relapse, thus cutting her off from the medication. Without the aid,
Spencer suffers restless nights when not trapped in hellish nightmares of the
Dollhouse. It’s revealed that Charles had forced each of the girls to decide
which of their friends would suffer, or else they all would.
Alison
confronts her father about the identity of “Charles” DeLaurentis. Though
seemingly rattled by the name drop, he outright denies any knowing of such a
person. Spencer calls horse-pucky on him, knowing full well that Alison’s
father is quite the notorious liar himself. Alison sees Spencer’s suffering and
shares a rather awkward run-in with Toby, asking if he’s talked to his
girlfriend at all. Ali’s then introduced to Toby’s new partner and the newest
member of Rosewood P.D., Lorenzo.
Despite
his initial belief that the case against Andrew was solid, Toby can’t shake off
the feeling that something isn’t right. Considering “A”’s methodical scheming,
he doesn’t buy the idea that the evidence can be so clean-cut. Everything points to Andrew. It’s too
perfect. Aria, on the other hand, doesn’t feel the same. She’s the most
proactive out of the girls to work with the police in the hopes of putting
Andrew away for good. She goes to the station to answer some questions, but the
interview doesn’t go well. None of the Liars ever saw Andrew’s face while
locked away, thus they can’t prove it was in fact him. In a moment of
desperation, Aria lies to the police, saying that she did see Andrew just once
in the Dollhouse while not wearing a mask. She admits her slipup to Spencer
when she visits, but Hastings cuts her some slack. Aria also tries to apologize
for the events that occurred while in the Dollhouse, but she can’t quite manage
to find the words. When Aria gets called downstairs by her mom, temptation gets
the better of Spencer, who steals some of her friend’s anti-anxiety meds.
As
the show draws to a close, Andrew professes his innocence from jail as Ali is
shown flipping through an old family photo album. Surprise, surprise. There are
blank spaces in the sections containing images of her brother when he was
little. Just because you rid yourself of the evidence doesn’t make someone
disappear, now does it?
With
the exception of the last little reveal, this episode of PLL doesn’t explore the mystery portion of the show. It’s focused
purely on the Liars’ return home, which on the surface sounds boring. I can
assure you though, it’s not. The introspective look into the psychological
damage these girls have suffered is compelling all by itself. Seeing how each
of Liars cope (and in some ways break
down) reveals so much about their individual personalities. They all shared
the same experience, but they’re each handling the aftermath differently. Shay
Mitchell shines brightest in this episode, particularly in the kitchen scene
when Emily opens up to her mother. The dialogue is profound and impactful, and
Mitchell’s delivery is raw, heart wrenching, and honest. If these first two
episodes of the #SummerOfAnswers are any indicator as to what lies ahead,
season six could be PLL’s strongest
installment yet.
Pretty
Little Liars - “Songs of Innocence” Rating: A -
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