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'Pretty Little Liars' Season 5, Episode 9: 'March Of Crimes'

Brittany Lazar |
August 6, 2014 | 1:38 a.m. PDT

Staff Reporter

Ali confronts Jenna (ABCFamily)
Ali confronts Jenna (ABCFamily)
Last week, it was Hanna against the world, but this week everyone is finally hearing what she has to say. While Hanna makes amends, Ali is having trouble relying on her friends. Can she trust everyone she is working with? 

When the episode opens, Spencer and Emily confront Ali about working with Noel. When Hanna walks in, Ali admits that she only did it to protect her kidnapping story. Failing to understand why the girls are upset, Ali assumes that everyone is against her except for Noel. Emily’s ideas about Melissa are still floating around, but this makes Spencer’s head spin and they dismiss the topic.

While Emily is riding her bike through Rosewood, she notices Noel sitting in his car listening to a recording. Emily is not the best eavesdropper, but she manages to hear Ali’s voice on the tape before Noel can spot her. 

Hanna’s mom comes into her room and suggests going to the mall with Ali. Hanna isn’t up to it and she also refuses to attend Ella’s engagement party. While Hanna packs her things, Ashley spots Hanna’s flask and lectures her for going down the wrong path. When Ashley brings up the fact that “Ali’s kidnapper” is still on the loose, Hanna is aggravated that Ali has Ashley on her side. 

At school, Lieutenant Tanner has a meeting with Aria and her mother to talk about Mr. Fitz. Ella argues that Aria dating Ezra has nothing to do with the break-in at the Marin house. Tanner brings up the possibility of Ezra having romantic relationships with other students such as Shana, but Aria is quick to respond that Ezra is certainly not a creep. How can Aria be so sure?

While Aria is grilled by Tanner, Ali worries that Spencer will have a hard time keeping up with the kidnapping story when it’s her turn to talk. They both spot Hanna walking through the halls, and it seems as if she is wasted again.

Emily meets with the manager of the swim team, who is more than willing to have her as assistant coach. During the meeting, Emily spots a binder containing information about the boys’ swim team. After she leaves the office, she sneaks back in to get the combination for Noel’s locker assignment. 

Since Tanner suspected Ezra of being involved with other students, Ella warns Aria that it could be true.  Noel interrupts their conversation and casually says hi to Aria and her mother. Aria looks like she saw a ghost, but Ella is more concerned about Ezra’s business. 

After retrieving the combination, Emily sneaks into Noel’s locker and gets a hold of his keys. In the meantime, Spencer goes up to Caleb’s place and it’s a mess. She confronts Caleb about Hanna’s reckless behavior ever since he came back. She also points out that Hanna is not drinking alone. In a very true and heartfelt statement, Spencer admits that they used to draw strength from each other, but now everything is all wrong. Annoyed by the truth, Caleb shows her the door.  

In the choir room, Ali asks Hanna about the classes she is taking and possibly walking to class together. Hanna doesn’t want anything to do with her because “her stupid stunts affect a lot of people.” Ali is convinced that Hanna is only mad at her because of Aria, but she doesn’t understand why Hanna is really upset. At this point, Ali feels as if their group is slowly falling apart. When Jenna emerges from another room, Hanna leaves and Ali apologizes for Shana’s passing. Jenna apologizes for the break in at the Marin’s in return and Ali blindsides Jenna by asking why she turned Shana against her. Jenna remarks that Ali did it all on her own. 

No one likes to see the Liars on bad terms, so when Aria ignores Hanna and abandons her at the lunch table, I just wanted them to hug it out already. 

Spencer visits the eye doctor and they give her drops that make her eyes dilated. Her vision starts to blur and she suddenly sees two Jenna’s (WHAT). She tries to get a picture but isn’t quick enough. 

Emily manages to get into Noel’s car, where she finds pictures of Ali and a tape recorder in the glove compartment. Spencer calls Emily and asks her to help find the two Jenna’s.  As she speaks with Emily, her vision comes back and she finds a message from “A” on the eye chart that reads, “Can u c me yet?”

When Aria arrives at home, Ella and Zack are organizing the decorations for the engagement party. Aria is evidently uncomfortable by Zack’s affection for Ella because in the back of her mind she knows Hanna is telling the truth. 

Emily meets Spencer at the eye doctor and she is able to catch a glimpse of both Jenna’s. She immediately notices that Sydney is the “other Jenna” and calls her out. They’re wearing matching outfits and it is just plain freaky how much they resemble one another. Spencer and Emily question them but Jenna does not give Sydney a chance to explain and they leave. 

Hanna visits Caleb, who is concerned about Hanna missing out on Ella’s engagement party. She does love free food and a chance to dress up after all... Hanna admits that she won’t attend because Zack is a sleaze. Caleb believes she is telling the truth and leaves to get dinner. 

Ella is ready for her engagement party, but she’s definitely not ready to hear Aria’s news about Zack. Aria suggests that Ella wait to marry Zack because how well does she really know him? When Ella asks if he did anything inappropriate to her, Aria confesses about Hanna. Apparently, something similar happened with Zack before they came back from Vienna but Ella excused it. 

Despite leaving to get dinner for Hanna, Caleb stops off at The Brew to give Zack a taste of his own medicine. When Zack tries to dismiss it as a misunderstanding, he hands Caleb a note that reads, “Sorry if I acted shy before. I promise I’ll make up for it.” Caleb knows that Hanna didn’t write the note and punches him in the face (That’s right). Caleb goes back to his place without food and informs Hanna about his little dispute with Zack. When he shows Hanna the note, she has no doubt that “A” wrote the note to set everyone up. 

Emily and Spencer are on the phone once again, but this time Spencer lets Emily know that she will ditch the engagement party and stop by the lake house instead to hide Noel’s pictures and recording of Ali. As Emily is leaving, Sydney approaches her to explain her situation with Jenna, in which she claims to have volunteered at a facility in Philadelphia where she glued Jenna back together. As soon as Ali returned, Jenna reached out to her for support. In one of Emily’s most amazing scenes, she puts Sydney to shame by assuring her that she will pay for the lies and manipulation she has caused. Emily wants her to know what it feels like to be sucker punched. 

Spencer is at the lake house to hide the pictures, but right after she locks the drawer, she notices someone sitting under a blanket. It turns out to be Noel, who claims that the pictures and recording are proof that Ali was never kidnapped. He wants to use it as insurance in case Ali ever turns on him. Shana sent them to Jenna and he subsequently stole them from Jenna’s house because Ali asked him to. When he charges at Spencer to get the key, she slits his hand and threatens him to stop. She assures him that she will keep it in a safe place because the girls need insurance too. He’s not the only one who doesn’t trust Ali...

Back at Caleb’s place, Aria visits Hanna to apologize. Aria just wanted to believe that Hanna was lying so her mother could be happy. They forgive each other and exchange the sweetest embrace. 

At the Marin’s Ali and Ashley discuss the abrupt end to the engagement party until they are interrupted by a phone call from the Rosewood police. They want Ali to come down to the station because they caught the kidnapper (wait, what kidnapper?). 

Byron Montgomery is back and he comes home to find Ella distraught. Ella doesn’t want to talk about the situation with Zack so Byron finds a way to comfort her by bringing back old memories of their marriage. He tells Ella that Zack doesn’t deserve her, and at this point, I really want them to get back together.  

Ali is at the police station where her cover-up kidnapper is being questioned. He has all the facts about Ali’s kidnapping which odd because it never happened right? Mrs. Marin asks her if he is indeed the man, but Ali does not give an answer. In the final scene, “A” is at the eye doctor listening to the tape Spencer hid at the lake house earlier. Since “A” has a hold of this information, it must’ve been he/she who asked Ali’s “kidnapper” to confess and back up her story. 

Reach Staff Reporter Brittany Lazar here.


 

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