After last week’s shocking twist, the masterminds behind "Pretty Little Liars" kept us on our toes this week for yet another crazy surprise. The man who confessed to kidnapping Ali is named Cyrus Petrillo, and he was taken into custody after Mrs. Marin’s neighbor reported a man lurking in her yard; however, there is not enough evidence to press charges as of now. In a holding room, Ali acts as if she has never seen this man before. She’s awfully uneasy though, so who is Cyrus Petrillo and where did he come from?

The girls suspect that “A” is behind this mysterious confession. Maybe following Cyrus’s steps will lead them to “A” and finally win this game, but what happens if they lose?

If the truth comes out to the police about what really happened to Ali, Aria is scared that they will also find out about New York and Shana. At the moment, Ali has gone rogue, but the girls need to make sure that she does not I.D. Cyrus and confirm that he is the “kidnapper.” Who better to talk to Ali than Emily? (It’s all in her eyes according to Spencer). Meanwhile, Hanna asks about Aria’s mom and apologizes for the unfortunate situation. Spencer then shows them Ali’s insurance policy (pictures and recordings) which Noel had in the previous episode. Spencer has a “spot” that no one knows about (but “A” most likely does) to keep it safe. 

Emily attempts to convince Ali that identifying Cyrus is not the right decision.  They’re not sure what “A” will pull if Ali confesses to something that never happened. Ali does not want to release Cyrus but she does hear Emily out. Suddenly Ali’s dad walks in and informs them that Cyrus confessed already. He suggests that this could be the same person who killed Mrs. DiLaurentis and Bethany. They will hold him behind bars for 48 hours unless further evidence is provided.

A heartbroken Ella is still suffering from the aftermath of her recent split, and she is eager to cancel all of her reservations. Aria tries to comfort her distraught mother by giving her pesto and mozzarella, but she doesn’t want to eat. Ella starts to blame herself for being too old and trusting, but Aria assures her that it’s not her fault. Aria takes care of the calls and allows her mom to take a break from the madness. 

Hanna does some cleaning over at Caleb’s place because his diet consists of mostly beer and junk food. While she tries to rid of all of his unhealthy food, Caleb is more concerned about what “A” will do next. Hanna is mostly tired of being blindsided by Ali. She wants to live like “normal” people and get excited about doing “normal” things. She eventually decides that she will try out for a solo in choir (because of course that’s what normal people do).

While Spencer is on the phone with Emily, she discovers that the report from the medical exam hidden under her couch cushion is missing. Trouble (a.k.a. Melissa) walks in to her room to ask about dinner and asks why Spencer is frantically searching her room. She plays it cool until she gets a phone call with the recording of Ali’s story. Before you know it a text from “A” comes in that reads, “Check mate.”

In order to live a healthier lifestyle, Hanna goes on a run with Caleb around the neighborhood. Spencer spots them and is shocked to see Hanna getting some exercise. When Spencer tries to tell Hanna about the missing report from her room, Hanna runs away because she is tired of all the “A” drama. Spencer asked Caleb to help Hanna, and keeping her on the right track is doing the job. 

Later, Spencer and Aria watch the surveillance footage from Spencer’s backyard. They watch as Melissa hands a man an unidentified item. She mouths, “Do it, trust me, just do it,” and Spencer automatically assumes the man is Cyrus. It was taped three nights ago, so Melissa most likely handed him the recording with Ali’s story and it’s possible she is working with “A”. Spencer wants to use the insurance from Noel to tell Lieutenant Tanner the truth about Ali and her story. Aria is worried that the police won’t believe the truth from a “bunch of Liars.” Spencer wants to beat “A” to the punch because it’s better if they found out from the girls first. 

Aria confronts Ezra about Ali possibly identifying Cyrus as her kidnapper. Ezra doesn’t believe that Ali would actually make such a huge mistake, but Aria isn’t so trusting of Ali. Ezra would like to speak with Ali, Aria forbids him from getting involved. She wants Ezra to stay safe, and he promises that he’ll stay away. 

Ali’s dad is putting more pressure on her to talk to the police by meeting with a social worker. In an effort to understand why Ali would confess, Emily accuses Ali of loving the sympathy she is receiving from everyone. Revealing the truth is hard for Ali, but in order to get Emily on her side, she can’t keep everything a secret. It turns out Ali actually knows Cyrus, and he was the one who gave her the bruise on her leg. 

Ali explains that she was living with him in an abandoned basement. He knew she was on the run, but he didn’t want her, he just wanted her stuff and money. Emily believes “A” is using Cyrus to trap her. She wants Ali to let him go, and Ali agrees. 

At the choir audition, Hanna is annoyed at Mona for practicing loudly and showing off her singing skills. When all of the girls are called up to sing, Mona collapses on the floor. Hanna helps to prop her up and after a minute, Mona wakes up. She urges Hanna to retrieve her purse, and whilst doing so, Hanna finds Cyrus’s mug shot inside. 

When Emily’s goes up to her room, she finds Spencer, who is looking for a new place to hide the Ali insurance. Emily wants nothing to do with this information but Spencer would like to hear more from Noel. Emily wants to burn everything because she trusts that Ali will make the right decision. On the other hand, Spencer thinks that Ali is gambling each of their lives. Emily fires back saying that Ali isn’t the problem, but Melissa is. 

At The Brew, Ezra spots Ali, but before he can discuss anything with her, Mr. DiLaurentis interrupts and urges him to leave. Although Ezra was sneaky about it, Aria sees Ezra with Ali and gets really angry.

In front of City Hall, Mona is waiting in her car and bluesnarfing. Out of nowhere, Hanna enters Mona’s car and grills her with questions. When she asks Mona about the mug shot in her purse, Mona reveals that she was not the one who sent Cyrus. In fact, she is there to find out who set this up. Hanna doesn’t trust her one bit, but she wants answers. They watch as Ali and her dad get into Tanner’s car and overhear that Ali might I.D. Cyrus. 

Spencer sneaks into her home after rummaging through the barn but Melissa catches her. She tries to cover up her intentions by claiming that she was on the hunt for her blue sweater. Spencer knows that Melissa is looking up flights and helping Mona, but Melissa admits she only helped Mona because she wants Spencer to see that Ali hasn’t changed. She knows Ali wasn’t kidnapped and she wants to protect Spencer when it all goes down. Melissa still can’t tell Spencer what wrongdoing she took part in because “honesty does not come easy for this family.” 

Tanner, Ali, and her dad go to the property where Cyrus “kidnapped” her. They don’t have any physical evidence yet, so Tanner wants Ali to find something that proves she stayed there. In Ali’s flashback, it is revealed that she was dating Cyrus, but while she was sleeping, he stole her belongings. She fought with him to get them back, but he took out a knife and slashed her leg. At the end of the flashback, Ali makes the decision to I.D. Cyrus and Tanner makes the call. 

Hanna and Mona are still in front of City Hall, expecting Cyrus to be released. Mona fainted because of a panic attack. She has been getting these attacks since Ali came back, because Mona is scared of her. Caleb calls Hanna about the audition and she lies about not being with Mona. After some time, they hear Tanner’s call to keep Cyrus in custody.  

Aria complains to Emily on the phone about Ezra until her mom enters her room. Ella had some retail therapy and bought Aria a really cute skirt. She overheard Aria talking about Ezra and Ella lets Aria know that she is there to help and offer advice. Aria is stuck with her imaginary list, thoughts and feelings about Ezra in her head. She wants to be able to trust him again and start over, but she doesn’t believe he has changed. Ella informs her that people can change, and her relationship with Zack is a whole other story. Hanna sends Aria a text about Ali’s confession and she rushes over to her house.

Meanwhile, Emily waits on Ali’s door step until she arrives home with her father. Emily thought all of the girls were in this together, but Ali failed to stick with the rest of them. Ali explains that she has a plan but Emily stops her because she knows Ali will somehow throw them under the bus. Emily stuck up for Ali against Paige, Spencer, and everyone else, but now she is DONE. 

Despite Ali’s confession, Cyrus managed to escape prison. Back at Hanna’s house, she informs Caleb that Spencer has a plan to handle the situation. Hanna also apologizes for lying about spying with Mona but it’s all good because Caleb lied about what he ate for lunch (LOL). Hanna says those three special words to Caleb that we’ve been longing to hear from them and they kiss.  

Spencer tells Aria that Melissa basically admitted that “A” has something bad in store for all of them. She still wants to go to Tanner to tell the truth but Aria is still not on board. When Emily arrives, she agrees that the girls cannot trust Ali. They want to cut ties with Ali tonight. 

Cyrus meets with a woman with black hair in the woods, and it’s none other than Ali, who is returning to her Vivian Darkbloom roots. Apparently, she made the deal with him to confess to the crime. He could’ve told the police the truth, but Ali insists that they both win this way. She explains that this is his one chance to start over, but he points out that Ali is losing her own chances. He drives off in a black SUV. 

In a short scene, Melissa tapes herself telling Spencer the truth. We must wait until the next episode or two to find out what she said.  

Finally, the episode closes with “A” watching the news and packing some black hoodies. “A” also folds a nurses uniform, the same one that Ali wore when she visited Hanna in the hospital seasons ago. 

Reach Staff Reporter Brittany Lazar here.