by Melissa Parkin
All’s well that
ends well, except for 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.
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ABC Family/Eric McCandless |
After spending 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 among 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 on 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 knowledge 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 works 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 slip-up 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 .
. . .
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 the 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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