Caleb’s not a ghost. Spencer might still be an attempted murderer. And Hanna’s going to die next week. In other words, we actually got some answers tonight. But there’s still questions. So here’s your weekly recap, Q-and-A style.
The episode opens on the Liars walking toward the police station, steeling themselves to confess. But then, psych, a bunch of TV screens inside a nearby storefront flash a message from “A”: pictures proving they knew Ali was alive. The girls bail on operation tell-all. But they still don’t trust Ali.
Q: is Ali “A”?
A: maybe. Hanna keeps having bad thoughts.
Q: how do Hanna’s thoughts about sex answer my question?
A: no, not that kind of bad thoughts. She’s thinking bad things about Ali: that she may be “A” or at least be the one torturing them, and/or that she may have made a deal with “A” to skip town.
Q: wow, Hanna had a smart thought?
A: I know, right? But Emily is the one, with Ezra’s help, who found a picture proving Ali knew Cyrus-the-fake-kidnapper beforehand.
Truth, lies, and videotape
Melissa mails Spencer a video of another confession: she pushed Bethany’s body into the hole that night. She’d seen Spencer wandering around in a daze with a shovel, and she assumed the blonde in the yellow shirt was Ali, so she pushed her into the hole and covered it, to protect Spencer. Which means, since the autopsy said the girl was buried alive, that Melissa killed Bethany. Then Melissa quotes “The Tempest” and while Spencer is watching, Spencer starts quoting the “The Tempest” back to her.
Q: whoah, slow down with the Shakespeare — you’re saying Melissa thought Spencer attacked the blonde in the yellow shirt?
A: yes.
Q: so why doesn’t Spencer think Spencer attacked the blonde in the yellow shirt? A: hm, maybe because she’s too busy proving she can quote “The Tempest”?
Quoth the raven
Q: okay, tell me about Caleb and the ghosts already?!
A: it starts with an intervention.
Q: boooooo!
A: what?
Q: no, I’m just getting excited.
A: oh okay. Spencer asks Toby to talk to Caleb because Hanna is worried about his drinking. Spencer’s worried too, because ever since Caleb he’s been different — “he looks haunted.”
Q: boooooo! Also, wait, how do you have an intervention for a ghost? Couldn’t he just disappear?
A: basically he does. He gets all mad, refuses to tell Toby what’s up, and leaves the restaurant. But then Hanna pulls a confession out of him and, get ready, it makes no sense whatsoever.
Q: caw! Caw!
A: [silence]
Q: it’s a crow.
A: I know.
Q: a spooooky crow.
A: anyway, while he’s in Ravenswood–
Q: wait, what sound does a raven make?
A: I’m ignoring you. So some preacher in Ravenswood made a upact with some people but the residents broke the pact by collectively opening a bunch of jars. Then the woods filled with fireflies. And after that, Miranda was gone. But then she visited Caleb in a dream. So now Caleb’s afraid of seeing her, so he drinks before he sleeps.
Q: what the hell are you talking about?
A: I told you! First of all, drinking makes my dreams way crazier, and also makes me see stuff while I’m awake.
Q: no, no, I mean, what’s up with the jars?
A: I guess there were souls trapped in the jars, which is why people kept seeing dead versions of themselves in Ravenswood, and when released, the souls turned into fireflies. And Miranda’s soul was in one of those jars.
Q: is that some fan-fiction bullshit? This backstory is totally out of the blue.
A: I think the writers bit off more than they could chew with the Ravenswood storyline and just needed to tie it up. They should never have let a Halloween-special storyline bleed into the regular season.
Q: pun intended?
A: no.
Q: also, what about Caleb seeing that dead version of himself? Why didn’t he turn into a firefly?
A: no idea. They totally ignored that part of the story.
Q: also, why would Caleb refuse to tell Toby all of this?
A: because it made no sense? Then again, Hanna buys it, no problem, and doesn’t even get a bad feeling. She should have, though: I’m pretty sure she’s the one who’ll die in the #FatalFinale.
Q: booooooo!
A: don’t make fun at a time like this.
Q: no, that was sincere. Hanna’s my favorite. What makes you think she croaks?
A: she tells Caleb they’ll get through this, saying, “I didn’t come this far not to have a happy ending,” which must be foreshadowing.
Q: but maybe not?
A: well, but then right after she says it, the Ouija board pointer moves, so it’s facing “Goodbye.”
Q: but you can’t be sure, right?
A: and then fireflies swarm around the cabin.
Q: she can always visit him in his dreams.
What else?
Emily wants Paige back, but Paige takes a hot blonde to the movies. Mona and Mike are back together. Mona definitely knows about New York. And Tanner tells Aria’s dad that one of the girls is coming down the next day to confess, but I think she’s bluffing.
