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'Pretty Little Liars' Season 5, Episode 12: 'Taking This One To The Grave'

Brittany Lazar |
August 27, 2014 | 2:13 a.m. PDT

Staff Reporter

Aria cleans up her mess at Radley. (Twitter, @ABCFpll)
Aria cleans up her mess at Radley. (Twitter, @ABCFpll)
As the previews suggested, this week’s episode of "Pretty Little Liars" was indeed a #FatalFinale. Fans are immediately hit with the news that someone has died when the episode opens.

Ezra, Aria, Hanna, and Emily are all alongside one another, obviously distraught, but where’s Spencer? Was she the victim? Judging by Hanna’s outpour of emotions, maybe it was Mona, or worse, Caleb? We do not find out who was killed until the end of the episode, but “A” texts the girls and lets them know that it’s their fault. We are then taken back 36 hours earlier to uncover the series of events that led to this shocking and mysterious death.  

At the police station, Ali is asked to take a polygraph test, under the watchful eye of Officer Holbrook. 

Meanwhile at the Vanderwaal’s, Mona’s mom calls her to meet some friends downstairs. She is surprised to find Hanna, Aria, Spencer, and Emily waiting for her in the living room. They want her help to find out what story Ali is telling the cops. Due to Ali’s inability to tell the truth, they cannot trust anything she says from now on. With Mona’s help, they may be able to potentially stop Ali’ from making matters much worse.

Despite the fact that Mona has caused the girls so much trouble, she is not willing to pay them back because she is terrified of what Ali might do. However, she does apologize for taking out all of her “Ali anger” on the girls in the past.

Spencer, Aria, and Emily sneak away to discuss Melissa’s tape while Hanna talks to Mona’s mom. Mrs. Vanderwaal asks if Ali is causing trouble once again and Hanna explains that Mona and the girls are actually all scared of her. Mona listens intently on the staircase, but then rushes to her room to make an urgent phone call. She tells the receiver, “Send out a code “A”, she’s plotting something big.”

Mona goes to The Brew to meet her army, but they all bailed because Ali got to them first. She managed to convince Mona’s army that she has changed, but we all know that’s far from true. Lucas is still on Mona’s side, and he assures her that she is not crazy or a loser. However, Mona is led to believe that Ali is the crazy one, due to her manipulative nature.

The next day at Rosewood High, the girls meet Mona in the bathroom, where she admits that Ali might be “A” after all because she is showing the signs of a sociopath. They girls are convinced that this may be true, but can they really trust this theory? Mona asks the girls not to tell anyone that she is helping them because it could put all of them in danger. When the twins from her Mona’s army walk in, she greets them and leaves the restroom. The twins simultaneously walk out of their stalls with smirks on the faces, indicating that Mona may be messing with the Liars (or they could be up to something themselves).

In front of her locker, Emily runs into Paige, who was last seen on a date with another girl. Apparently that date did not work out, because Paige didn’t see it as a good fit. When Emily brings up the fact they still have not talked, Paige admits that she’s tired of talking and steals a kiss. Emily is not bothered by her affection one bit and they both blush. 

In the halls, Mona runs into her mom, who looks like she is up to no good. Mona then spots Ali from across the room and Ali mocks her with a fake smile. She is called to the principal’s office and it suddenly makes sense why Mrs. Vanderwaal was at school in the first place (to report Ali and protect her daughter). 

Back at Ezra’s apartment, Aria helps him carve some pumpkins to make pie for Thanksgiving. Aria’s family is willing to have Ezra over to see if he’s worth another look, since Aria is spending a lot of time with him (but come on they’re obviously dating again).

While Spencer flips through an old album filled with pictures of the girls and Ali, Toby surprises her in his police uniform. They do some role play with Spencer as the bad suspect and Toby as the disciplined cop (honestly their relationship is to die for). Spencer later hands Toby a watch as a graduation present with an inscription that reads, “You are my once upon a time.”

Lucas and Mona stop by the police station to do some investigating, in order to get a hold of Ali’s files. While Lucas taps into the system, Mona retrieves all of the data and saves it into her computer. Who knows what they’re up to?

Emily is certainly not one to shy away from her love for Christmas. She enlists the help of Paige, Hanna, and Caleb, who aren’t as excited about decorating her house. Hanna gets a call from Mona and lies to Caleb that it was her grandmother. Caleb tends to see through Hanna’s lies and he knows something is up.

It turns out that Mona got a hold of Ali’s polygraph test, which surprisingly holds some truth. Ali describes Spencer’s drug habits and whereabouts from the night that Bethany was killed, and this forces the investigator to ask more about Spencer’s actions that night. Ali’s last statement is that she had nothing to do with the death of Bethany Young.

The girls later discuss the act that Ali’s story does not contain any incriminating evidence that links them to the crime. Mona points out that Ali did mention a little bit too much about Spencer, which could cause some problems. Caleb walks in and interrupts their conversation, declaring that Spencer must be the prime suspect (Mona is allowing him to help the girls even though she does not want anyone else involved). He shows the girls the affidavit that states Spencer as the prime suspect, which means that they will have a warrant out for her arrest. Spencer panics, but before she can leave, everyone assures her that they will get to the bottom of this and find the real connection between Ali and Bethany.

With the technological help of Caleb and Hanna in the car, Spencer and Mona manage to sneak into Radley. In the meantime, Emily is at home putting on an act to distract Ali. She lies to Ali that she misses her, but Emily really just wants some answers.

While Aria does her volunteer work at Radley, she distracts the nurse in order to clear the way for Spencer and Mona. They steal a set of keys and sneak into a room containing patients’ files. Suddenly, Officer Holbrook pulls up and Hanna warns Mona that he is in the building. Holbrook sees Aria and questions her volunteer work. He also suggests that Spencer may have forced her to volunteer here for more answers.

Back at Emily’s house, Ali asks for some chamomile tea because she has the chills. As Emily leaves to make the tea, Ali picks up her phone and reads a message from Hanna, which reveals that Emily was lying to Ali the entire time. Emily confronts her about being “A” but Ali cannot believe that Emily would deceive her like that. Ali storms out without a word.

Paige visits Emily’s house to check on the Christmas decorations, but she is shocked to find the twins from Mona’s army staking out in front. Ali emerges from the front door and much to our surprise, she enters the twins’ car. 

In the midst of breaking into the case files, Mona and Spencer find a link between Bethany and Ali on a tape in which Bethany is describing Ali and her mother. The girls take the items with them and are able to escape from the back exit before Holbrook can get to them. As Spencer and Mona walk back to the car, Spencer calls Toby back to apologize for missing their date. The signal is really terrible, so Toby struggles to get a hold of Spencer. He takes a look at his phone for a split second and out of nowhere, a car strikes his truck. 

Thanksgiving Day arrives, and it is revealed that Toby broke his leg and will be out for a month (Phew! He is okay). Paige runs over to the girls to tell Emily about Ali, Cindy and Mindy (the twins) going to a farm the night before. Before the girls can process this, Holbrook comes charging in to arrest Spencer for the death of Bethany Young. Is this Ali’s payback?

Mona is in her room looking at the reports until she goes downstairs to say bye to her mom. When Mona enters her house, a blonde girl in a black hoodie trails behind her (maybe Ali?). 

Mona finds out that Spencer was arrested and she immediately calls Aria to tell her that Ali brought Bethany to Rosewood to have her killed because of the affair Mrs. D had with Bethany’s dad. Mona confirms that Ali is in fact “A,” but are we ever really sure?

Before all of the girls arrive at Mona’s house, the same blonde girl breaks in and attacks Mona. The Liars discover blood on the walls when they enter, but there is no sign of a body. It’s pretty obvious that “A” or Ali or someone killed Mona, and Holbrook rules it a homicide. While the girls cry and the street, Ali hides behind a car showing no emotion. In the closing credits, “A” leaves a doll in the trunk to lay with Mona’s body. She later cuts out a Christmas picture of the Liars to insert into a snow globe. 

Well that’s it for the summer season of "Pretty Little Liars"! We never saw Ali’s face, but it only makes sense that she is “A”, for now...

Reach Staff Reporter Brittany Lazar here.



 

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