S3 Episode 2: Blood is the New Black

Interesting turn of events in this episode. Or rather, the exposition was slightly unexpected.

Read: S3 Episode 1 Recap and Redux before the rest of this entry.

Day 1

• THE NECKLACE. The episode opens with Ella teaching in class: Emily, Aria, and Spencer are seated. Whilst looking in her bag, Emily finds a necklace with (human) teeth and a spelled out phrase: DEAD GIRLS CANT SMILE. She freaks out and the other liars go after her, even Hanna who sees them speeding through the hallway. They all enter the bathroom and fit into ONE stall, and then argue who to tell and not to tell about the necklace. We also find out that they burned the photos from the previous episode. As they go back and forth with what to do with the necklace, it gets conveniently and accidentally flushed in the toilet.
• At lunch, the liars talk about losing evidence. They also want Hanna to go back to RADLEY to get more information out of MonA. Spencer says that she’ll go talk to Garrett again if Hanna agrees to go see Mona.
• Still at lunch, Jenna walks out to the courtyard, bumping into other students. Aria calls out that Jenna seems to be “blinder than she was last year.” This starts a conversation about the Black Swan and possible members of the A-Team.
• Hanna leaves the table, non-committal about Radley but we all know that she’ll do it. She heads over to the school officer where Caleb is fixing school computers. She then LIES to him and excuses herself from their dinner arrangements.
• Aware that Emily will be taking ANOTHER makeup exam, Aria recommends that she go see Ezra for help. Meredith arrives and Aria approaches her only to find out that she is applying for a position in school.
• After school, Aria meets with Ezra & tells him about Emily. They also talk about Meredith & mentions her parents’ divorce. Kiss, kiss. We find out that Ezria is still not that forthcoming about their relationship with Byron.
• Spencer visits Garrett and tries to get information. After saying that she didn’t get her mom to agree to be his lawyer, he abruptly leaves her with one piece of information: Check Medical Records. Medical records that will clear Garrett & reveal Ali’s true killer.
• Hanna visits (Faux) Girl Interrupted MonA and chats with her about school. She mentioned Noel Kahn & asks if Mona had any other visitors-or if she has heard anything about Noel. (Where is Noel? Amusingly, actually moves her head and blinks. She just doesn’t answer back.) Hanna gets frustrated with the non-response and throws a chair while (sort of) yelling at Mona. After she leaves, Mona looks at the ID that Hanna aka Ms. RIVERS threw in the trash.
• Emily meets with Ezra later that night. Conversation is quite awkward as Ezra tries to be more of a friend than a teacher.
• Back at Radley, Wren talks to Hanna about Ambiguous Loss. (Hanna, being now interested in “expanding her vocabulary” stores that piece of information).
• At home, SPOBY, talk about Jenna. Spencer asks where Jenna was after camp which ended sometime in late July. Toby claims that the parental units have been treating Jenna like one of her snow globes. Kiss, kiss. Veronica Hastings arrives & mentions that she can’t contact Melissa. She also asks Toby to join them for dinner.

Day 2

• At school Aria finds an earring (inside an envelope) in her locker. Flashback: Aria & Ali are in Byron’s office and Ali convinces Aria to trash her dad’s office, making it seem like Meredith was the one who did it. Both girls find earrings in the office & Aria decides to take them with her. Flashforward: Aria tells the liars that when Jessica DiLaurentis asked if they wanted to include a keepsake in Ali’s casket, that’s what she placed. (So, from here we know that these were part of what was stolen in Ali’s grave).
• Later that day, Emily and Ezra meet again—and Ezra notices that Em is very unfocused. He tries to encourage her and says something noteworthy: “Everything you need to know is already in your head.”
• Jenna, still pretending to be blind, asks Aria if she can play/practice a music sheet with her. Taken aback,  Aria makes an excuse and lies to Jenna. Of course, Jenna can see and knows that Aria is lying.
• Hanna, on the phone with Aria, finds out about the invitation from Jenna. Caleb arrives at her house with food. As they get ready to eat, Hanna keeps checking the time.
• Spencer’s phone rings, at home, and Veronica Hastings tells her daughter to let the person calling her to call later. Spencer decides not to pick up, VH proceeds to ask Spencer about visiting Garrett & tells her never to go again. Spencer confirms that Garrett was already locked up when the grave was dug up.
• Back at Hanna’s, she is picking on her food saying that she is “not hungry” when she clearly said she was when Caleb arrived. Caleb, getting frustrated and sensing something is wrong, asks her where Hanna wants to be right that moment.  He also reminds Hanna that the lying (between them) should have already stopped. Hanna confesses that she wants to go Mona (as if it were going to be the first time).They argue about that but Caleb gives in and tells Hanna he’ll go with her. The next day. At this point, Hanna drops the phrase, “Ambiguous Loss” as an explanation to her need for closure.
• At home, Aria looks at the earring and gets a text from A: Daddy needs to know or I let the other one go. To the Police. ‘Night-night. -A. Alleged “A” rustles through the bushes.

Day 3

• Aria talks to Byron and confesses about the office vandalism. Byron appears dumbfounded and angry, but fails to realize his own faults. (This would not have happened if he didn’t have that affair.)
• Emily listens to music right before she takes her test. Once she starts, she goes through it really fast.
• Haleb visit Mona. Caleb waits outside as Hanna goes in with an ID that now says MARIN. Mona ignores her and moves her head to look elsewhere. Hanna tells her that she brought her makeup kit—Mona does look at the bag but does not say anything.
• SPOBY are at a cafe. Toby brought 2 bottles of Jenna’s eye drops. He says that Jenna got the Rx last spring before the surgery. He asks Spencer to look at the expiration of the second bottle. If Jenna can’t see, why would she keep renewing the medication? Yes, he thinks Jenna could see.
• While taking her makeup exam, Em sees another student pinning her hair which triggers her to recall parts of THAT NIGHT.
• At a cafe, Aria approaches Meredith and fesses up to trashing her dad’s office (letting Meredith take the blame). She apologizes. Meredith also tells Aria that she will be having lunch with her dad the next day. Then, she brings out the earring and “returns” it to Meredith, who tells her that earring is NOT hers.
• Spencer visits Garrett but is asked to wait as he is currently visiting with his lawyer. We later find out that Veronica Hastings has agreed to be Garrett’s lawyer & has asked for a copy of the visitor’s logsheet.
• Back at Radley, Caleb is playing cards on his phone when he is approached by Wren who inadvertently reveals that Hanna has been visiting Mona for quite some time, and dropping the phrase “Ambiguous Loss”.
• After her mom left, Spencer tries to meet with Garrett who refuses to answer any of her questions.
• In school, Ella checks Emily’s paper and notices that she did not finish the last page of the test. She decides to “help” Emily. Of course, someone was watching her.
• Again, back at Radley, Hanna is finished putting makeup on Mona. She is still trying to make conversation, and out of the blue, Mona says, “You’re getting them again, aren’t you? The texts.” Hanna tries to get more info but visiting hours are over and Mona now refuses to talk again. She tells her that she will be back. After Hanna leaves, Mona grabs tweezers hiding under her gown and start piercing her finger.

Day 4

• Ella gets a visit from Ezra and tells her that he has been helping Emily and is concerned as to how she did. Ella tells him that Emily did fine and does not need to take the exam again.
• In the bathroom, the liars talk about Mona’s statement and Emily’s recollection of THAT NIGHT. Em argues that Jenna can see but the others are not as certain. When they were leaving the bathroom, they notice Jenna headed towards the LGR so they scoot back in. Spencer says she has an idea and places the earring on the counter. The girls are hiding in stalls when Jenna comes in, fills her jug with (dirty tap) water, and of course, falls for the bait. She takes off her sunglasses, picks up the earring, examines it, and places it back on the counter. The liars silently react until Jenna leaves the room. Aria: Bitch can see! Spencer wants them to keep it a SECRET so they can use it to their advantage.
• At the store, someone with male pudgy hands wearing a green-strapped watch is purchasing large hoodies for 12.95. Only one pair of gloves left though. That someone was wearing a beige/off-white button down shirt with a light blue t-shirt inside. He’s also a lefty.

A’s Antics Summarized

• Toothy Necklace: DEAD GIRL CANT SMILE
• Earrings from Ali’s Casket
• To Aria: Daddy needs to know or I let the other one go. To the Police. ‘Night-night. -A.
• Jenna, part of the A-Team, dug up Ali’s grave. She also has a RED coat and dark gloves.
• Earrings are not Meredith and could be part of the A-Game.
• Hoodies and gloves. Hoodies and gloves. Hoodies and gloves.

My Thoughts

• Some notes are in parenthesis in the entries above.
• Certain that it was Jenna (or part of her team) who planted the earring in Aria’s locker
• When A texted Aria about sending the police the earring, I wasn’t quite sure what would the ‘blackmailing’ factor be: (1) Byron’s indiscretions will be known, (2) Aria will be implicated for Ali’s murder or stealing the body? Am I missing another possibility?
• I hope the bottles Toby brought were empty else Jenna would be looking for them.
• I was partially surprised that they revealed the culprit of THAT NIGHT this early on. But I also knew that it was too good to be true for the writers/producers to show the car so obviously in those two episodes.
• Do you think Ali planted the earrings in Byron’s office? Do you think Ali’s A planted those earrings and blackmailed Ali to get Aria to trash her dad’s office? Do you think Byron has been unfaithful more than once? Who do you think owns those earrings?
• What changed Veronica Hastings’ mind about representing Garrett? Do you think Melissa asked her? It’s possible if Melissa had something to do with Ali’s death, she would want to cover her tracks too—especially if Garrett knew about it.
• Timelines: Was there just one weekend day???
• I think Mona has been getting several other visitors because of what she told Hanna.
• Do you think Jenna is leading the A-Team? Who do you think she met up with at the park? (S2 Unmasked)
• What do you think the liars would do now that they know Jenna’s not blind?
• So we know that the A-Team is back in business and preparing for a new full season of tormenting.