Pretty Little Liars Round Table: "Cover for Me"
Carissa Pavlica
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It's time for another TV Fanatic Round Table!
For Pretty Little Liars Season 4 Episode 22, we discuss the new guys Spencer and Aria met up with and who got the better deal; whether Mrs. D could be the ultimate big bad; and why Spencer's parents won't alleviate her misery by filling in her lost memories from the time Ali went missing.
Join staff writers Leigh Raines, Nick McHatton, Teresa Lopez and Carissa Pavlica as they delve into these questions and more and, by all means, join in the conversation!!
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Is Mrs. DiLaurentis an A minion or the ultimate big big bad?
Leigh: Mrs. D creeps me the hell out. I think SHE is the one who tried to kill Ali. Could she be pulling all the strings as A? Maybe. I'm not sure that A and the person who attempted to kill Ali are the same person. Either way, she is dangerous.
Nick: I think that's the question of the hour when this episode comes to pass. With EzrA coming to light, the possibilities of having an Adult A were absolutely confirmed. Mrs. D definitely has the best motives for being A, and she continues to weird me out so I'm hoping the weirdness is justified in her being A. I'm still not convinced EzrA is off the hook since he's still milling about being creepy and having pedophile tendencies.
Teresa: It's definitely possible that she is leading a bunch of A minions to torture the girls. That would solve Hanna's problem with Mrs. D being A (Does she even know how to text?) But we've been fooled far too often. I'm going wait this one out before declaring anyone A...even if the show says they are A.
Carissa: I think this whole town is so full of red herrings they should be wearing gas masks to get through the stinky days. I doubt she's the ultimate and I doubt the writers have a clue it is at this point. Where the hell is Ezra's lair? Why was he spying on everyone? Who said he's not the guy just because he pulled down another mask as the put-upon poor author? Not buying it.
The writers claimed they weren't going to go the book route with a twin. Do you still buy that BS.
Leigh: The writers also said they weren't going to book route with Mona and boo ya they did. Toby was supposed to be "bad." Ezra was "A." Puh-lease. I only believe what I see, not what I read. Although that circulated leaked finale script did seem sorta legit.
Nick: I never believe a word that comes out of the writing team because they've shown before that they will pick and choose from the books' plot if it suits the shows direction.
Teresa: No. I think the writers will do whatever suits their needs at the time. If they don't want to give away anything, the smarter move would be to just not say anything instead of giving all these interviews that say one thing and then do the opposite on the show. Sure, Toby is a bad guy. Riiight. And Ezra is A. The only thing we've really learned is not to trust the writers or producers.
Carissa: What other reason would Mrs. D have to hate her own daughter? I'm starting to think she might hate her -- or one of them. I hope she has a backup daughter so she doesn't hate her only girl.
Did Spencer or Aria get the better guy to help with their recovery? Share your thoughts.
Leigh: Even though The Originals and PLL have a fake sorta Tuesday night TV feud, I gotta love a character crossover! Kol Mikaelson it was good to see you my man. Totally sexy. However, Aria's rendezvous up in 'Cuse was definitely more fun. (Sidenote: fakest Syracuse set I've ever seen.)
Nick: From a purely factual point of view Spencer has the better guy because he's actually helping her with her recovery (Although, he could always be an A minion, so everything should be taken with a grain of salt). Aria's guy feels mostly like a very hot rebound. I'm just pleased that Rosewood continues to up its hot guy quota.
Teresa: Aria, totally. Would you rather have crazy rebound sex in a hotel room with booze or run three-four miles while hallucinating about possibly assaulting your best friend? In terms of cuteness factor, to me Dean was hotter than Riley, but Dean's seriousness kind of killed all that attractiveness.
Carissa: I'm going with Spencer because I think she's going to get a long-term friend in the deal who will be there for her to lean on in times of trouble (Lord knows she has a lot of those), whereas the Syracuse guy is unlikely to be anything more than a one night stand.
When did Hanna become the strongest link on Team Liars? She even correctly guessed Emily told Paige about Ali. Talk about the wonders of Hanna Marin!
Leigh: I kinda said this last week in reference to whether or not I wanted Caleb back. As much as I love him, when Hanna is on her own, she is a force of independent thinking and it blows my mind.
Nick: Once most of Hanna's family drama finally got taken care of she had a chance to really step up to the plate just as Spencer began getting embroiled in her own drama. It's a nice change for Hanna since she's been portrayed as a follower more so than a leader for most of the series. She's dropping her crutches (Caleb, Ashley, the liars) and standing on her own and evaluating what's going on.
Teresa: I think once she partnered up with Caleb, she became way more useful. Having a good partner really helped, especially one who really believed in her and doesn't insult her intelligence like Spencer does. She's leaving behind that dumb blonde stereotype (though she does trot it out from time to time, mostly for laughs).
Carissa: What I really enjoy about the way these girls are written is that when one or two are hitting bottom, the others rise up and take their places at the table. There are never four weak links. Hanna is the strongest because she has the least to lose so she can concentrate above all others. If she falls, Emily will rise up. That's so fun.
Can you think of any reason Spencer's parents would watch her suffering, spiraling out of control and begging for answers and yet refuse to give them to her?
Leigh: Whatever they know will devastate her more when they tell her. Or at least whatever they think they know. Mr. Hastings is in cahoots with Mrs. D and she's a whackjob.
Nick: I think they see her begging for answers as a cry for help more than anything else, so they would rather work to solve what they see as the bigger issue than worry about what Spencer is asking for.
Teresa: Their response to her drug relapse indicates that they do really care about her, so maybe they are doing it for her own good. I actually think there isn't really anything as heinous as Spencer is imagining in her past. I'm sure when her mother said to be glad that she doesn't remember it she meant that Spencer was just a nasty person to be around. I'm sure she said some pretty awful things, but I doubt she tried to kill Alison.
Carissa: If she were my daughter and she was diving into pills to try to uncover what happened years earlier, I'd take her to a safe place (therapy) and lay it all out on the table. I couldn't let her suffer wondering what was if it was something less than she was imagining (which at this point is attempted murder). I think they're being cruel.
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.
