Pretty Little Liars finale: A is the ultimate frenemy

Remember when you were little, and things on television and in the movies actually frightened you? As in, you were scared enough to clutch a pillow, squeeze or your friend’s hand, bite your nails, or hide your eyes? That’s what last night’s Pretty Little Liars season finale was like. I haven’t spent an hour feeling this tense since my last dental visit.

It’s evident that PLL creator Marlene King set out to address as many questions as possible in the finale while still leaving a whole lot unresolved — thus opening the door for Season 3 and providing enough suspense that we’ll want to continue watching. (Not like we really need an excuse …) Season 1’s finale was just as chilling and as infuriatingly open-ended as this one was, and it was likewise open to several interpretations.

It’s difficult to review a season finale without sounding a bit scattered. After all, there’s so much to process, so many theories to mull over, and so many predictions and ideas about the future of the show to ponder. I’ll just begin with the “Chucky dolls.” As Hanna says so astutely, “Is there a creepier word than creepy?”

I noticed in Episode 210 (“Touched by an ‘A’-ngel”) that Aria had been playing with a similar doll from the box of keepsakes Jason had given her. So, then, were these all Alison’s old dolls? If so (and even if not), the symbolism of the dolls as “puppets” or “voodoo dolls” of the girls nicely represents Alison’s unwavering control over them during her life — as well as after her death.

Which leads me to my next question, which I thought long and hard about after Spencer compared A to “the ultimate frenemy”: What’s really the difference between A … and Alison?

After getting over the initial shock of what they’ve been asked to do (by their dolls), the girls take a moment to process A’s requests. They realize that his or her motives may not be all bad. Despite the fact that A is putting the Liars in extremely uncomfortable situations, the outcome of each request will be positive — getting rid of Jackie, preventing Hanna’s dad from remarrying, and keeping Toby safe. But at what cost? Spencer says,”It’s brilliant, actually. A is being our ultimate frenemy, forcing us to get what we want but knowing what when we do …” And then Hanna completes the quote, so succinctly: “All hell breaks loose.”

A has done plenty of threatening and blackmailing as well as being connected to at least one Rosewood death. But the one attempted murder that we know A was involved in, Ian’s, was as a result of him trying to kill Spencer. A protected Spencer and saved her life.

This is similar to the ways in which Alison held the girls “under her wing” — keeping them attached to her and therefore in the popular group, “protecting” them. However, this protection comes with stipulations. For Alison, it was that her position as Queen Bee was not to be compromised, and that the girls had to do whatever she wanted them to do. For A, the same idea holds true: the girls are at his or her mercy. In the simplest sense, A is a bully — someone you need to keep happy for fear of having her turn your world upside down should you disobey her. But what I can never fully understand is whether A is trying to hurt the girls or help them. It seems to me like this will all make sense once we discover who A actually is any why he or she is making these demands. It feels as though A wants justice — wants to right a wrong, or several wrongs — and if there are casualties, so be it. He or she also wants to uncover the truth. So is that a bad thing?

Now onto Jenna and Garrett. I get that Garrett is quitting the force, and that he’s done some completely shady things such as remove page 5 of the autopsy report from the database as well as from the hard copy. But as I noted in my last review, Dr. Sullivan didn’t recognize Garrett, so he can’t be A (or the only A, if A is a group of people). Did he kill Alison for Jenna and try to frame Ian? Is Jenna A? (And another question that I’d love to know the answer to … are Ali’s killer and A the same person/people? Or is A trying to help the Liars solve the case, like I suggested above?)

Another thing that made me catch my breath for a minute was when Maya and Emily were hanging out, and Hanna inquired about Maya’s boots. Those boots looked an awful lot like the ones A purchased online earlier in the season. But what would Maya’s motive be? Maybe this was just thrown out there to trick us.

The encounter between Aria and Jackie Molina was creepy as hell. Jackie always makes me nervous, but seeing them interact on such an intimate level was scary. And, Jackie? It doesn’t really matter whether Aria’s the one who drives you out of Hollis. I’m pretty sure that A will take of that for her if you decide you’re too good to get away with plagiarism.

Here’s something I thought I misinterpreted, but then it turned out I was kind of right after all. When Emily is driving to the wedding and her GPS (or, should I say, APS) tells her the wrong way to go, and then she finds the doll in the backseat who says “I’m taking you to her,” I thought the doll meant Alison. That was my first thought. Only then when Emily reaches the barn and starts calling for Dr. Sullivan, I realized that Dr. Sullivan is who A meant she’d take her to.

Only then, when the girls are digging up Dr. Sullivan’s body and they find only a dummy, they get arrested because they’re caught with the murder weapon used to kill Alison. Probably in the same place where Alison was actually buried alive. So, yes, in a roundabout way, A did take Emily and the girls to Alison. And maybe, since everyone is convening at the station at once, the truth will finally come out about Alison’s murder.

Finally, there’s the story of Spencer’s dad and his secretive conversation with Jason. I wouldn’t put it past Spencer’s dad to have had an affair with Mrs. DeLaurentis. Maybe one of her children is actually his? Jason, perhaps, explaining why their grandmother had initially shut him out of her will?

All I have to say is, thank goodness Dr. Sullivan is alive. And I wonder what was in the envelope that A gave to her? Dr. Sullivan said, “I’ve done everything you’ve asked me to do.” What could that be? I’m thinking that there was a photograph or other important document in that envelope, because I’m fairly certain it said “FRAGILE: DO NOT BEND” on it.

Well, now I’m desperate for Season 3. But we’ve got a prequel episode coming our way in October as part of ABC Family’s 13 Nights of Halloween!

Clacked by Rachel Blum-Jose
on Aug 31, 2011 @ 13:42 EST5EDT