Pretty Little Liars – The Talented Mr. Rollins

By: Alex Steele

It was all systems go this week on “Pretty Little Liars” after Emily’s (Shay Mitchell) run in/confrontation/discovery of Mary Drake (Andrea Parker) and Elliot (Huw Collins). After witnessing their argument at Wellby, she wasted no time assembling the Liars to formulate a plan to save Ali (Sasha Pieterse). Yet the episode itself, titled The Talented Mr. Rollins, opens on Hanna (Ashley Benson) sadly looking at a knock-off engagement ring. With a few short moments of composing herself and placing the ring on her finger, she’s ready to go. It seems as though Hanna still isn’t ready to talk about or deal with her current reality. Joining the others, they passionately discuss what their next move must be. Emily is as strong as ever in her stance to save Ali while the others are still reluctant to believe that Elliot is involved. After a little thought and deliberation, they are all on the same page – it’s time to save Alison and bring Elliot and Mary Drake to justice. And trust me, they better hurry as this sequence is cut with a shocking scenes from Wellby. Alison has managed to escape her restraints and as Elliot arrives she attacks. It’s a brutal exchange, Sasha Pieterse committing whole-heartedly to Alison’s plight to escape and live. Unfortunately, Elliot over powers her and it takes one stick of a needle to render her powerless. “Pretty Little Liars” continues their horror-esque theme when Elliot places a medieval face mask over Alison; it’s creepy, shocking and completely heartbreaking.

The Liars are making a quick coffee stop at The Brew when Emily finds out she has got the job at Radley, bartending. We also discover that Ezra (Ian Harding) is out of town working on the book with Liam (Roberto Aguirre). Aria’s awkwardness around that whole situation is so evident. Aria (Lucy Hale) has bigger concerns; however, after seeing the burn scars on Hanna’s back earlier that morning. She attempts to broach the subject while waiting in line. Hanna doesn’t want to talk about it and she insists that what she went through is not the same as the Dollhouse. Meanwhile, Emily approaches Sabrina (Lulu Brud). After the support she received last week, she wants to say thank you by taking Sabrina out for dinner. Sadly, Sabrina is still hung up about the whole “key” issue and rejects the offer. Can Emily just get some luck in love? It’s about time. Elsewhere, Spencer (Troian Bellesario) arrives at Toby’s (Keegan Allen) caravan to enlist his help on tracking down any information that could help them discover who Elliot really is. Weirdly though, Toby isn’t there but Yvonne (Kara Royster) is. Oh goodness, cue the awkward tension that occurs between these two and when Spencer notices the engagement ring it reaches a whole new level.

With Spencer unsuccessful, the other arrive at Wellby to question the Head Doctor regarding Alison’s treatment. Doctor Freedman (Troy Vincent) insists that Alison is being well-cared for by Elliot even when the girls express their belief that he’s abusing her. Not getting anywhere with this method, Aria stands up and threatens to file a complaint. Emily and Hanna back her up and with this Doctor Freedman has no other choice, but to take them to Alison. When he does, they discover her unstrapped and peacefully sleeping in her bed – talk about coincidence. Also, when Elliot shows up and insists that she had a few bad days, but is doing better. Doctor Freedman supports his diagnosis. Oh the conspiracy. With her disappointment and shock still lingering after finding out about Toby’s engagement, Spencer takes the opportunity to talk things through with Caleb (Tyler Blackburn). She confronts him, impassioned and completely honest in her explanation that she’s wanted to be with him for so long but when Hanna disappeared something changed. Telling him he seems distant, Caleb just stands – casually making a sandwich, as Spencer continues on. Did something happen? Well yes, Spencer, it did. And finally, he admits it. Troian and Tyler deliver this relationship with such heart and commitment that it has made my long-time #Haleb shipping heart jump ships and when Spencer strongly states that she can handle a kiss, it seems all might be good. But when she questions if it was anything more, if he still has feelings for Hanna, his response is telling. Silence, no eye-contact, a pause. Thankfully, this heartbreaking realization is quickly interrupted when Spencer receives a call from long-lost Jason.

On the back of a conversation with Jason, Spencer convenes another meeting with everyone informing them that Jason, in fact, had no idea Alison was being held at Wellby. Cue the “I told you so” from Emily and what ensues is an all-out argument between the Liars. They argue about Charlotte’s death and that it is still a possibility that Alison not be the one that killed her. More importantly though, no one deserves to be tortured. Note the knowing look between Aria and Hanna right here. After the tension dies down, Emily is required for a shift at the Radley while Aria, Spencer and Hanna go back to Alison’s house to go through that trunk Elliot keeps locked. Emily, after discovering Spencer didn’t ask Toby for help, steals the file in her bag before she leaves. Meanwhile, Aria breaks in and swiftly photographs every last piece of evidence in Elliot’s trunk – drugs, medical instrument and documents. Outside, Spencer and Hanna continue the theme of awkwardness when Spencer tells Hanna she knows about the kiss. Hanna assures her friend that it’s all over between her and Caleb, that Jordan is her future. Okay Hanna, enough is enough. These people love you, you can tell them what’s going on.

During this conversation; however, Elliot arrives home, jumping Spencer and Hanna into action ensuring he doesn’t enter the house before Aria gets out. They’ve perfected their stalling techniques and Aria safely escapes joining her friends as a creepy Elliot watches on. In the safety of Spencer’s house, they are inspecting the document that Aria photographed uncovering a receipt for an Amish Bed & Breakfast that Alison and Elliot visited. Hanna and Aria head off to check it out, while Spencer stays behind to do further research into the medications they found in Elliot’s trunk. Elsewhere, Emily’s first shift is going so smoothly or should it be that her love life continues to be road full of speed-bumps and pot-holes. After being turned down by Sabrina earlier in the episode, Emily approaches her at Radley to further apologize and plead her case. I’m sure I am not the only rooting for Emily to find happiness in love. Sadly, when she’s interrupted by a woman who kisses Sabrina, Emily’s confidence takes another blow.

Aria and Hanna have no sense of direction and end up getting lost of their way to the Bed + Breakfast, consequently resulting them in having to go by foot. Aria continues to push Hanna to talk, but when Hanna shuts her down saying if she continues to relive it she won’t stop crying, Aria seems to get the point. They initially have no luck with the Bed + Breakfast, turning up no new information or leads, but when a young girl seemingly follows them they uncover some interesting information. Stating that Aria and Hanna look like her “dolls,” the little girl reluctantly shows them. And by golly do they ever. They’re also named after them which makes the whole situation that much creepier. Not only that, the young girl knows Elliot, Alison and Charlotte personally – cue the PI music now. Feeling confident with the new information, they go to leave, but not before Hanna suffers a bout of PTSD as she notices a cattle prod – the instrument used to torture her.

Back in Rosewood, Spencer has made a breakthrough while researching all the items in the trunk. She’s put all the pieces together to realise that Elliot was cooking up latex. For masks. Initially only believing it was the mask of Hanna in the clock tower, Spencer soon discovers that in combination with the blue contact lenses, Elliot was also dressing up as Detective Wilden. This success, unfortunately, is followed by utter heartbreak when Caleb pushes to talk about earlier. He wants a chance to explain himself and even with all the genuineness in the world, he still doesn’t do enough. Troian Bellesario is completely moving in this scene, communicating Spencer’s deep love for Caleb so fluidly while Tyler is so visceral in the pain and anguish Caleb feels being torn between these two women. As the scene closes, we are left knowing that Spencer is in love with Caleb, but he continues to only reference the word “like.” Don’t get me wrong, he wants to make it work, but Spencer just isn’t sure that she can.

The episode races to the end quickly after Elliot realizes someone has been in the house. He collects all the items from the trunk, packs his doctor’s bag and returns to Wellby. When he arrives, he lets Alison know that there has been a change of plans. Meanwhile, Spencer and Emily have had a breakthrough regarding the drugs Elliot has been giving Ali; if taken together with other drugs, and in high doses, they can cause hallucinations and delusions. If Alison wasn’t crazy before she entered Wellby, she most certainly is now. To make matters more interesting, Emily receives a text from Elliot. Initially it seems a little out of character when they find that it is a pin drop of his location as why would he want them to know where he is? After a moment of clarity, they figure out it is Alison. She’s sending them an SOS. With this, they begin to track Elliot who seems to be completely unaware that Alison has plotted her escape – does anyone else have questions regarding this? For some reason, I was thinking it was all Elliot’s plan to have Alison text her friends.

Anyway, as Elliot continues to drive Alison makes her move. She uses a pothole to begin to rush, but then unbuckles her seatbelt and escapes. Running, we see the Liars edging closer to the location, screaming for them to intercept Ali. Eventually, they see Alison run across the road, but before they can stop and turn around Elliot runs out after her. With no time to turn around, and completely shocked, Hanna and the Liars are unsuccessful in slamming the breaks soon enough as they hit Elliot, killing him in the process. Holy moly, did anyone else not see that coming? Also, that last scene of Alison walking back out just standing there observing the car – did anyone get the sense that she may have somehow planned that? Either way, it was horrific all the same. “Pretty Little Liars” continues to push the envelope with this new season, the suspense and the horror-esque feel definitely doing wonders.

Other key notes:

• Sabrina and Emily finally got their act together – they are having dinner.
• Emily gave the file to Toby – making Yvonne even more suspicious over the whole situation.
• With Hanna and Caleb now both single could this mean a reconciliation?