The most talked about TV Show is back and better than ever!
After a much anticipated build up, the show that teens and adults have come to love is back with its season 4 premiere. Before I summarize the episode, here's a quick recap of the recent happenings of Rosewood and the season 3 finale.
Season 3 Finale Recap
- Spencer returned from her stay at Radley, a mental health institution and appeared to be fully recovered. She gave the girls invitations to a welcome back party to be held at the the Thornhill Lodge. The liars quickly figure out that this is a ploy by Spencer and that she made a deal with "A" (Mona specifically) to bring the girls down.
- It is revealed that Toby is working for the A team in an effort to help Spencer and keep her safe. Once this is revealed to Spencer, she gets back together with him.
- The girls see Jenna, Shawna, and Melissa planning on how to take the girls down.
- The lodge is set on fire and the girls are unable to find a way out. Mona tells them that she does not know who Redcoat is either.
- The girls wake up outside of the lodge, which has been burned to smithereens. Both Mona and Hanna see Redcoat standing over them and see that she is Alison.
- At the end of the finale, the girls come across Wilden's police car. Someone took it out of the lake and put the video of Ashley committing a hit and run on replay.
- The liars and Mona all get texts from A and go to open the trunk of the car, all showing surprise at what they find inside.
Season 4 Premiere Summary
"A" has gone rogue and is full of surprises.
What's in the trunk???
A lot happened in this premiere episode. It's only been a couple of days but it is all a blur to me. The first thing that was revealed is what was in the trunk. It was a dead pig! All of that build up, it was a little anticlimatic. And quite frankly a gross flashback to some of the experiments I did in 8th grade biology. After that, the girls see someone coming and all scramble to leave the cop car without being seen. Except for Mona that is. Mona, still caring about Hanna and her mother, takes the time and the risk to remove the tape showing the hit and run from the car. Once they get back to the house, the liars demand answers from Mona. Spencer suggests they play a game called the third degree and get Mona to tell them everything that she knows.
What was revealed in third degree (Source: Wikipedia)
(It was difficult to remember everything that happened. I didn't want to chance leaving anything out.)
"Mona reveals some secrets while playing third-degree: she didn't get the car out of the lake, Shana knew Jenna before she came to Rosewood (and they are afraid of Melissa), Lucas gave Emily the massage, she recruited Toby when he got that job in Bucks County, and she didn't push Ian off the bell tower (and doesn't know who did).
Then the liars found out that Officer Wilden was dead. It is also revealed that he died during the time that they were at the lodge, so they have no alibi. They come to the conclusion that "A" is going to try and frame them for the detective's murder.
Toby also deals with some inner turmoil, as "A" texts him, hinting to new details about his past. It is revealed, that when he was younger he was quite shy and awkward, especially around girls, Alison in particular. A flashback shows Alison and Toby hanging out and as they are about to kiss, his mother walks in. It is 4pm and she appears to be dazed and confused. She tells him that she just got up. Toby expresses concern to Ali that something is seriously wrong with his mother. Alison, in her usual fashion, claims that his mother has a case of laziness. Toby becomes extremely upset and demands that she leave. Alison leaves and as she walks out the door she calls him a loser. This may be one of the first things she did that led to his dislike or hate of her in the future. "A" claims to know what has happened to his mom. When she disappeared or left Rosewood is unclear to me. Maybe I missed something? Or it will be explained in more detail in future episodes....
Aria runs into Ezra and he tells her that he has been offered a job back at Rosewood. She exclaims that it will be difficult to not see him if he is at her school everyday. Ezra says that he has a family now and that he truly needs the job. Aria lusts after him in the normal way that anyway faced with the daunting task of seeing their ex everyday would react. The vice principal notices this behavior. Aria lets her imagination get the best of her in a heartbreaking scene where "A" gives pictures of her and Ezra having sex to the vice principal, who calls her a liar, calls her parents, and arrests Ezra. With some superb acting by Lucy Hale, she runs out frantically, tears streaming down her face in disbelief. In reality, he wanted to give Aria some papers to sign and told her he hopes that her mom gets better soon.
Paige is seen scoping out Stanford's website when Emily walks in. Paige happily exclaims that she has been accepted to Stanford on a full scholarship for swimming. She says that Emily is just as good as her and she could get in as well. Paige asks Emily to go to Stanford with her, proposing that they move in together, and get as far away from "A" as possible. Emily considers the prospect of being away from the tortures of "A" and accepts the offer. The scene ends with them both proclaiming their love for each other and looking on to their futures.
Hanna decides that she needs to attempt to reconnect with Mona, in order to get the video of her mother's hit and run from her. She and Mona go shopping, acting like they did before in old times, when they were still friends. Mona realizes that Hanna is just pretending to be her friend and gives her the video, claiming it is the only copy. Mona hopes to gain Hanna's trust and become her true friend again. Mona is a lot smarter than she appears. It takes a lot of intelligence and observance to pull of being "A" for as long as she did, and to dig up all of the dirt that she did on the girls. Mona is extremely underestimated by Rosewood and her peers. It may seem like Mona is turning a corner and that she is now a victim in all of this, but I think Mona still has something up her sleeve. Great acting by Janel Parrish, showing the different sides of Mona. She keeps the viewer guessing in regards to Mona's true intentions.
Spoiler alert: Hanna briefly mentions Caleb and his absence in the episode. Something about him being out in the middle of nowhere with no cell service. Marlene King, showrunner of "Pretty Little Liars", has confirmed that Tyler Blackburn (Who plays Caleb) will be leaving the show for it's spin-off Ravenswood. He is going to be one of the main characters of the new show. Marlene said that he was chosen for the spin-off "Because of his ambiguous past". A lot of his past has not been revealed to the audience. So Haleb fans will be left heartbroken. Although, I'm sure it's possible that Hanna or the other liars could venture into Ravenswood. Actually, according to Wikipedia's info on Ravenswood, Troian Bellisario (Spencer) and Keegan Allen (Toby) are set to guest star on the spin-off at some point. While this is not the most reliable source, it would not be all that surprising if it was true. On twitter, Ashley Benson has shown her love for her tv-boyfriend and has shown interest in visiting him as he pursues his feature endeavors.
The end of the episode ends with the five girls getting a text from A outside the funeral home. They then meet the new detective who is investigating Wilden's death. The guy admits that Wilden had an obsession with them and questions why they would come to his funeral. They respond that they are just showing respect for the Rosewood police department. He says that part of procedure would be for them to be questioned at some point. He says, with a little doubt in his voice, that they just need to be honest, and that they have nothing to hide. This episode has set up a lot for the season and I am looking forward to seeing the all the drama unfold.
Season 4 Premiere Review
Great acting, directing, and writing have drawn in so many viewers that the show has already been renewed for a 5th season and a spin off titled Ravenswood is in the works. Just as captivating and intriguing in its 4th season, new twists and turns take the Liars' nightmares to a whole new level. Revelations from Mona have answered many questions as well as brought up some new ones. The combination of mystery, drama, and romance is perfectly put together to attract many different audiences. The premiere episode was well done and a great starting point for the season. I hope that the mystery stays exciting and that the show remains as good as it was when it started. If they just keep doing what they are doing, they will have a huge audience that will stick with the show until its end.
Just added a new poll! Who is your favorite character from "Pretty Little Liars"? Due to technical difficulties, I had to make it into two questions as for some reason I am unable to add any more than 4 answers.
More reviews soon to come. I will definitely review the next episode of PLL. I will try to put it up sooner than I did with this one.
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