After years of stringing us along, Pretty Little Liars is finally beginning to reciprocate our affections. In exchange for our loyal devotion, Cover For Me was packed with helpful tidbits that will eventually lead to unveiling A, and hopefully bringing Alison (Sasha Pieterse) home for good. In a pretty even distribution of screen time, the Liars all worked their separate angles which led them to a brand-new working theory – and you probably didn’t even see it coming.
If getting under a new guy is the way to get over your ex, Aria (Lucy Hale) has definitely taken this on as her official mantra. In an attempt to leave Rosewood and her problems behind for a few days, she escapes to Syracuse where there’s a convenient college visit week taking place. Along her sullen way, Aria comes across an equally disinterested young man that serves as both a distraction and partner in crime, skipping out on college tours in the interest of breakfast food and other hangover remedies.
Judging by Aria’s mental health state on the last episode of Pretty Little Liars, after she finds herself in a head on collision with Ezra’s (Ian Harding) secret life, this was the best thing that could have happened to her. It’s also the best thing that has happened to the Liars in quite a while. Despite some momentary gains and small victories, the Liars have been pretty much driven back to square one with the realization that Ali is still alive. They desperately needed something tangible to pull them into the next round, and bring them closer to the truth – and not just the one they would like the believe.
Aria taking a step back proved to be exactly what she needed. Not only did she not have to worry about facing Ezra before she was ready, but it gave her the distance she needed mentally to gather her thoughts. No, this doesn’t mean that Aria is magically over Ezra, or that she is emotionally healed. The truth is, she probably will be scarred for life. Her first love used her as research for a book and their entire relationship was based on a lie. Take a moment to let that sink in. But now that the truth is out there, the writers are no longer making Ezra look so godawful, pegging him as the villain in that constant eerie light. And, at least Aria was able to confront him, make a cliff notes-esque declaration, and come out of this situation with some semblance of her dignity and a copy of his manuscript – containing some theories that the Liars may want to consider.
There has always been something off about Mrs. DiLaurentis. This isn’t a new notion that Pretty Little Liars is suddenly expressing, it’s just a more pinpointed theory. It was easy to make excuses for her odd behavior based on extenuating circumstances – Ali’s death, her divorce, Jason’s issues – but no matter which story you attached to it at the moment, there was still the underlying premise of bizarre intentions. Of course, hindsight is 20/20. The more this theory blossoms, the more her past actions seem like flashing red lights illuminating the Liars’ misfortunes over the last couple of years .
If you weren’t convinced based on Ezra’s book, her creepy (and uninvited) appearance in Spencer’s (Troian Bellisario) bedroom should have clued you in. As if Spence doesn’t have enough drama going on, now her best friend’s mother is stalking her. That’s just lovely, isn’t it? To make matters worse, Spencer is on lock-down. As part of her rehabilitation for her recent relapse, her parents have hired a full time drug counselor to manage her time and lead her down a more “productive” path. This new character comes in the form of former Vampire Diaries‘ actor Nathaniel Buzolic. Not too shabby.
With Dean (Buzolic) keeping such a close eye on Spencer, her temporary escape not a reflection of his skills, and the police looking into Paige’s note, things in Rosewood are about to get turned upside down.
Were you as surprised to find out about Mrs. D as you were about Mona back in season 2? Let us know all your theories on what’s going to happen next on Pretty Little Liars in the comment section below!