S3 Episode 4: Birds of a Feather

Birds of a feather, indeed.

Here are the main topics of this episode:

• The A-Team
• The Black Swan
• Ella’s Online Dating Profile
• Haleb
• $50,000 Reward

At The Grill

• The Liars discuss who’s in the A-Team: They’ve crossed out Jenna & Melissa (Really?). Some of them think Lucas’ is still a part of it. Who’s the Black Swan? Melissa’s secret. Her possibly being the black swan.
• They also talk about Jenna, who’s been faking for at least 5 months. (So, when she took the art class at Hollis with Aria, was she able to see then? And, if she did, then all her drama with “Anita” was fake.)
• Then, they witness Jason approach VH, furiously, about defending Garrett. He eventually walks out, Spence follows. She sees him tape a poster on to a street lamp: $50K reward for information leading to the recovery of Ali’s body. After he leaves, the liars follow and see the poster. They all get A-text: “Imagine what I can do with fifty grand. –A”

 Next Day, School & After School

• Hanna & Aria talk about Byron (smelling like baby wipes, lol) dating Meredith. Aria says that she hasn’t mentioned anything to her mom. As they go their separate ways, Aria follows her mom to a classroom. They chat for a bit, about meeting up on Sunday instead of a weekday. Then, Aria hints that her mom should be going out. (Side Note: Really? An awkwardly shaped leopard print dress with a giant antique bronze butterfly. Sigh.)
• Hanna visits Mona, only to find out that her visiting rights were revoked.
• Em’s first day working at a café. Her manager is primo enthusiastico. Maya’s cousin, Nate comes in looking for her and asks when she has time to meet. He says he just started at Hollis. As he leaves, enthused manager tips Em with “Green Tea Latte Drinkers. Keep the Gluten Free Biscottis coming.” Hmm.
• Hanna is on the phone with Wren, asking about Mona when Caleb arrives with tickets for next Saturday. He expects her to be overly enthusiastic but she is frustrated about not being able to visit Mona. This, of course, frustrates Caleb in return. Hanna mentions the incident which caused the issue, thinking it was Lucas who visited Mona. Caleb fesses up, which opens a whole bigger argument between the two. Caleb appears to be jealous of Wren as well. They fight, Caleb throws out the tickets, and storms out.
• Aria and Hanna discuss Caleb. Aria thinks that Hanna should tell Caleb everything (well, yeah).  Aria has also been trying to set her mom up on a date. Via Online Dating. Ashley arrives and asks what’s going on. She gives them advice. Hanna & Aria set up an online profile for Ella on Ashley’s suggested website. “Hot Mamma”.
• Spencer waits for Jason outside his classroom to discuss the poster and VH’s decision to represent Garrett. Jason thinks that VH has a different agenda, as to why he’s defending Garrett.
• Emily meets up with Nate, where he hands her a gift from Maya—a t-shirt of the movie they watched on their first date. Nate says Maya told him that Em was her first real love.
• Hanna goes back to Radley, try to probably sneak in a visit when she witnesses Wilden handing Wren a court order that allows him to interview Mona. Wren sees Hanna hiding behind the French doors.
• Nate and Em are in a diner and they talk about Stinson Beach memories with Maya. Em asks for Maya’s parents’ addresses so she could send them a thank you card. Nate says he doesn’t have it with him but will get it to her later. He leaves a book behind.
• Wren and Hanna are talking at a ‘holding room’ while Wilden is interviewing Mona about Ali’s missing remains. Hanna finds out that Wren extended Mona’s visiting hours for Hanna.
• The liars meet up and they decide to get more information from Melissa.
• Ella runs into Ashley at the café and finds out about her online profile, and talk about the dating scene in Rosewood.

The Black Swan Investigation

• Spencer sets up to meet Melissa so that the liars could go check her apartment.
• Melissa leaves her apartment to meet with Spencer. Although Spencer tells them to wait for her text, the three decide to go into the apartment early. They start searching through her things, documents, books. Em takes a book from the shelf and leaves it on the coffee table. (Sigh)
• Spencer gets a text from Mel that she will be late because she forgot her wallet and needs to head back. She tries to contact the three but is unable to reach them.
• Em spots Melissa heading back and they all hide inside her closet. Melissa opens her closet and goes through her clothes, almost revealing the liar’s hiding place. Aside from that, she notices the misplaced book. She heads out and the liars are relieved.
• When they get out of the closet, they noticed a garment back for a costume. It was empty, except for a piece of feather that matched the one that Hanna found at the masquerade.
• The liars meet up later, confirming their suspicions that Melissa was dressed as the Black Swan at the ball. They all discuss what this means, and how dangerous Melissa is—how she might be involved with the A Team.

Later that Night

• Spencers gets home and turns on the light. She is faced with a weird Mel with a knife on one hand talking about preparing dinner. (Really? In the dark?). Spencer confronts Melissa about the Black Swan and her fake pregnancy. Mel gets melodramatic saying that she lost the baby the day after she found Ian’s body. Spencer asks about the ball and VH steps in. She then asks why Melissa pretended to be pregnant.
• Hanna is on the phone with Aria, telling her that she has decided to tell Caleb everything when she gets a text. Her text included a photo of a car accident in Montecito.
• Back to the Hastings: Melissa starts telling VH and Spencer about a package she received with a note blackmailing her about her pregnancy. She said she was just told to come to the ball as the Black Swan. When asked what she was talking to Jenna about, she said the note just said to distract Jenna. When she saw Spencer and her friends, she ran. After her tale, she tells them that she needs to go upstairs and lie down. (Eh?)
• Spencer asks VH who knew that Mel was faking. She said her dad and Garrett. Then Spence asks if that was the reason she took the case. VH says no. She mentions the PI they hired a while back to check on Melissa. That same PI is on the case’s witness list.
• Hanna was still looking at the text when Caleb arrived. He says that his mom was in a car accident. Hanna mentions that she was in Montecito, clearly connecting the text to the accident. Then, Caleb says that his mom says that she felt like someone was trying to run her down.
• Caleb asks Hanna what she wanted to tell him but Hanna backs out. She says she doesn’t want to talk and is not ready. Caleb feels grief, they argue a bit and he decides to break up with her.
• Aria gets a text from Spencer regarding Melissa and to “Abort Plan” as she will explain later. Ella arrives and talks to Aria, and asks about her online profile. They have a really good conversation about moving on and Ella mentions that she knows that Byron is dating Meredith.
• Em meets up with Nate, again. Nate says that he forgot the address again but is shipping a box to them so he can just send the card with it. He also tells Em that he is leaving Hollis (or thinking about it, at least) because everyone talks about is Maya. (Really? Leaving because of that? How selfish is that?) The two talk about letting go and that they now considers themselves friends.
• Hanna, with Aria, is crying over her breakup with Caleb.
• Emily, holds on to the shirt Maya got for her.
• Caleb, is in deep thought…
• Spencer takes a walk and sees Jason outside the front porch. Jason tells her that he decided to take down the posting. Spence says, “The Truth Always Comes Out.”. She also says that she is looking forward to college—leaving Rosewood. Jason says that you can leave Rosewood but Rosewood will never leave you.
• Jason gets a text and says he needs to attend to something. Spencer heads back home. As soon as she is out of earshot, he calls someone and tells that person to meet him at the parking lot. He then proceeds to write a check for $50K.

A’s Antics

• Leftee A is at the Montecito airport. S/He sets Mona’s visiting rights to permitted. Then, leaves a $50 tip at the bar.

My Thoughts

• Random entries in parenthesis (above)
• Where is Noel Kahn? Is he a leftee?