Welcome back to my weekly review and recap of Pretty Little Liars. To catch up on previous coverage, click here.
Pretty Little Liars has given us faith once again! For a season filled with ups, downs and an anti-climactic Big A reveal, the sixth season finale managed to be one of the best. “Hush..Hush, Sweet Liars” gave us several exciting scenes with fan-favorite PLL couples; the usual answers in the form of questions; and the highly anticipated #TwinOnPLL reveal.
Warning: This review includes several spoilers. Proceed at your own risk!
Game Plan
The previous episode left off with Hanna (Ashley Benson) falsely telling the girls’ latest stalker how she killed Charlotte. Their stalker threatens to shoot her if she’s lying and says not to get any cops involved. The group ends up formulating plans involving secret rooms under the Radley Hotel and building an electric fence around the Lost Woods Resort, where the stalker wants to meet Hanna.
Ezria
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As cringeworthy as Aria (Lucy Hale) and Ezra’s (Ian Harding) relationship can be (at least since season four), this episode was incredibly satisfying for fans of the Ezria ship. The two of them finish their novel they’ve been working on for what seems like five minutes, and they both come to terms with their feelings. Ezra, who based this story off of his relationship with Nicole, comes to the realization he’ll never see his old love again. Meanwhile, Aria confesses to Emily (Shay Mitchell) how the chapters she wrote in the book are based on the feelings she used to have for Ezra rather than her current relationship with Liam.
Later on, Aria’s boss tells Ezra how much she loved the book. Ezra shares the news with Aria and their excitement leads to a kiss which leads to hot and steamy Ezria sex! Between this scene and a brief moment where Spencer (Troian Bellisario) is clad in nothing but revealing panties, it makes sense why this network no longer has the word, “Family,” in the name.
Spoby
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The Hastings v. Phillips senatorial campaign comes to an end with Veronica Hastings (Lesley Fera) coming out on top! But more drama is brewing between Spencer and Toby (Keegan Allen). Yvonne (Kara Royster) figures out that Toby is going to help out his ex-girlfriend once the polls close and firmly says she will not be the type of woman who says, “pick me, not her.” It’s a shame he can’t be honest and say that he’s going in a creepy basement to do some investigating.
But Spoby fans don’t care if Yvoby (or whatever ship name this couple is) is in trouble because there were several fun scenes between this former couple. With throwbacks to when Spencer taught Toby French and several tender moments, this episode makes fans realize why they rooted for this classic couple in the first place.
After comparing the floor plans of the Radley Sanitarium and the Radley Hotel, Spoby figures out there is a secret room in the basement and break through the wall with some tools. Mona (Janel Parrish) appears out of nowhere like usual and keeps them company in the hidden room, where they find nothing but one file filled with stunning revelations.
In the file, they learn Jessica and Kenneth DiLaurentis were not Charlotte’s birth parents. They adopted Charlotte from Mary Drake, who was a patient at the Radley 25 years ago. Also, rather than being the older sibling, Charlotte was practically the same age as Jason. Was this to keep the adoption a secret? And who hid this file? Was it Charlotte or Mary Drake, herself?
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Haleb
Caleb (Tyler Blackburn) and Hanna try to set a trap for A-moji by building an electrified fence around the Lost Woods Resort and utilizing camera technology to capture a photo of their stalker. We learn in flashbacks how Haleb broke up. With her workaholic ways and inability to say “no” to her boss, Hanna’s relationship with Caleb ended with an ultimatum. Either Hanna went with Caleb on a Europe trip they have been planning for the last three months or Caleb leaves and never comes back.
Hanna chose her job initially. However, she reveals to Caleb how she went back to their apartment only to find his clothes gone and his phone left behind. She tells Caleb she never stopped loving him. Wait, doesn’t she have a fiancé? But that doesn’t stop them from sharing a Haleb kiss!
Oh and then there’s the matter of Spaleb! Did anyone else notice how Caleb did not say “I love you, too” to Spencer after she said it first? He’s definitely hung up on Hanna as much as she’s hung up on him.
I see dead people….and Emison!
After her husband, Elliot (Huw Collins), leaves for a conference, Ali (Sasha Pieterse) starts seeing and hearing dead people, including zombie versions of her mother (Andrea Parker) and Darren Wilden (Bryce Johnson). She screams at these hallucinations that what happened to Charlotte wasn’t her fault. To escape from this, she ends up going to the church where Charlotte died.
Emily ends up finding Ali sitting in the church, crying. Ali believes Jessica and Wilden came back to her so they could take her to hell. She doesn’t know what’s real anymore. With Emily’s support, Ali checks herself into the same mental institution that cured Charlotte.
Twinning!
Caleb, Aria and Ezra make sure Hanna is safe in the Resort’s room while they wait outside to catch A-moji. However, the camera lights go off and there is no one at the electrical fence. And to make matters worse, Hanna is missing. It looks like they should have checked the floor for secret doors and hidden passages.
Spencer, Toby and Mona end up joining the group and they watch footage on the laptop to see if they got a good shot of their stalker. When they examine the footage, they see…Jessica DiLaurentis!?
Bad Husband!
We catch a glimpse of Wilden once again but it’s not one of Ali’s hallucinations. He takes off a super realistic looking mask and it turns out to be Dr. Rollins…who actually has a thick British accent! He is then joined by Mary Drake, who is also Jessica’s identical twin (and not to brag, but it looks like I was correct with my twin theory!)! They tricked Ali into thinking she was crazy so Elliot could take control of 51% of the Carissimi Group and so Mary could take control of what was supposed to be her’s. It’s what Charlotte would have wanted. Additionally, Elliott was actually in love with Charlotte and would have done anything for her. This entire scene takes place in a little over a minute and it manages to set up what is sure to be a thrilling storyline for the seventh season.
Meanwhile, back at the Lost Woods Resort, the girls get a text saying, “Thanks for giving me Hanna. You’re free to go.” And it was signed with the initials, “A.D.”
Creepy A.D. Epilogue
Back at the bell tower, we see a figure dragging Hanna’s unconscious body across the floor. She is clutching onto flowers and it looks like she has blood coming out of her mouth. Let the games begin!
Closing Thoughts
Yes, the twin storyline and Elliot’s super-realistic masks are a little over-the-top but isn’t that what makes Pretty Little Liars so great? If next season is as consistently entertaining as this episode, the PLL Army will be in for a treat!
What did you think of the finale? Sound off in the comments!
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