The Pretty Little LiarsSeason 5 finale was meant to deliver us some solid answers, but we are more confused than ever. Perhaps it was our fault for believing that, with at least two more seasons more to go, PLL would give us a true “A” reveal complete with actual revelations, but we couldn’t help but come away from this season-ender with a feeling of dissatisfaction.
Season 5, Episode 25 (“Welcome to the Dollhouse”) did have its moments. Mona is alive! The Liars have stumbled into their own version of Mazerunner! And “A” is a DiLaurentis dude-twin! (Maybe Andrew?! Maybe Jason?! Maybe Jason’s twin?!) It was also fun to see PLL embrace a truly crazy change in format — moving from teenage thriller into psychological horror territory — but we’re not sure they pulled it off. Last week’s episode was all Law & Order. This week’s episode was more Saw-lite, with the Liars trapped inside of a massive underground “dollhouse” in which they are forced to play games and plan proms or suffer the fate of ear-burning sirens. What you may be feeling right now is a case of genre whiplash, unsoothed by the sweet salve of meaningful answers we were promised.
Perhaps this conceit and tonal shift would have worked better for PLL if the Liars’ trials and tribulations in the dollhouse weren’t intercut with the Lawyers Hastings and Team Dude’s efforts to find their Liar loved ones? Flashing back to “normal” Rosewood life and such a nonsensical search for the Liars took away from the claustrophobia of the dollhouse. We would much rather have been trapped inside the claustrophobic dollhouse, Hunger Games-style, than hang out with any of these secondary characters. Sure, it was cool to see Ezra, Caleb, and Toby worry about the Liars and there was a certain amount of catharsis in Alison getting to tell the Hastings about “A,” but — for the most part — we didn’t really care what was happening outside of the dollhouse. But enough rambling, here’s everything that went down in the Season 5 finale!
Wherein Mona is alive, bitches. All praise the TV gods! However else we look back on the Season 5 finale of PLL, we will always find some affection for it as the episode that brought Mona Vanderwaal back into our lives. We had our suspicions that Mona wasn’t really dead — no body, no murder! — but seeing her pull off that Ali mask and offer cookies to the Liars was the best thing that’s happened to us all week. And seeing her take on the persona of Alison DiLaurentis AKA the person “A” so desperately wanted her to be, was classic and creepy.
The best part, though? The fact that “A”’s dollhouse hasn’t broken her. Sure, she plays along for the cameras, but she’s been secretly mapping out “A”’s subterranean lair since Day One. She’s not done playing the game. It’s also crazy to think how far Mona’s relationship with the Liars has come. “A” has forced them to work together again and again. This has resulted in some kind of, if not friendship, then camaraderie between the Liars and their former nemesis. All the points for the Hanna/Mona friendship moment when Hanan gives her former bestie a hug and lets her know that she’s happy she’s not dead. (And not just because this mean Hanna doesn’t have to go back to jail, either.) This episode would have benefitted from fewer peeks at the doofuses looking for the Liars and more human moments inside of the dollhouse like this one. If you’re going to try to sell us on the dollhouse,PLL, you have to commit.
The Pretty Little LiarsSeason 5 finale was meant to deliver us some solid answers, but we are more confused than ever. Perhaps it was our fault for believing that, with at least two more seasons more to go, PLL would give us a true “A” reveal complete with actual revelations, but we couldn’t help but come away from this season-ender with a feeling of dissatisfaction.
Season 5, Episode 25 (“Welcome to the Dollhouse”) did have its moments. Mona is alive! The Liars have stumbled into their own version of Mazerunner! And “A” is a DiLaurentis dude-twin! (Maybe Andrew?! Maybe Jason?! Maybe Jason’s twin?!) It was also fun to see PLL embrace a truly crazy change in format — moving from teenage thriller into psychological horror territory — but we’re not sure they pulled it off. Last week’s episode was all Law & Order. This week’s episode was more Saw-lite, with the Liars trapped inside of a massive underground “dollhouse” in which they are forced to play games and plan proms or suffer the fate of ear-burning sirens. What you may be feeling right now is a case of genre whiplash, unsoothed by the sweet salve of meaningful answers we were promised.
Perhaps this conceit and tonal shift would have worked better for PLL if the Liars’ trials and tribulations in the dollhouse weren’t intercut with the Lawyers Hastings and Team Dude’s efforts to find their Liar loved ones? Flashing back to “normal” Rosewood life and such a nonsensical search for the Liars took away from the claustrophobia of the dollhouse. We would much rather have been trapped inside the claustrophobic dollhouse, Hunger Games-style, than hang out with any of these secondary characters. Sure, it was cool to see Ezra, Caleb, and Toby worry about the Liars and there was a certain amount of catharsis in Alison getting to tell the Hastings about “A,” but — for the most part — we didn’t really care what was happening outside of the dollhouse. But enough rambling, here’s everything that went down in the Season 5 finale!
Wherein Mona is alive, bitches. All praise the TV gods! However else we look back on the Season 5 finale of PLL, we will always find some affection for it as the episode that brought Mona Vanderwaal back into our lives. We had our suspicions that Mona wasn’t really dead — no body, no murder! — but seeing her pull off that Ali mask and offer cookies to the Liars was the best thing that’s happened to us all week. And seeing her take on the persona of Alison DiLaurentis AKA the person “A” so desperately wanted her to be, was classic and creepy.
The best part, though? The fact that “A”’s dollhouse hasn’t broken her. Sure, she plays along for the cameras, but she’s been secretly mapping out “A”’s subterranean lair since Day One. She’s not done playing the game. It’s also crazy to think how far Mona’s relationship with the Liars has come. “A” has forced them to work together again and again. This has resulted in some kind of, if not friendship, then camaraderie between the Liars and their former nemesis. All the points for the Hanna/Mona friendship moment when Hanan gives her former bestie a hug and lets her know that she’s happy she’s not dead. (And not just because this mean Hanna doesn’t have to go back to jail, either.) This episode would have benefitted from fewer peeks at the doofuses looking for the Liars and more human moments inside of the dollhouse like this one. If you’re going to try to sell us on the dollhouse,PLL, you have to commit.
Wherein the Liars realize how truly screwed they are. Despite Spencer’s detour, the Liars manage make it out of the underground compound, only to surface in a clearing surrounded by an electric fence. The Liars make a break for it, but the lights turn on and Spencer shouts a warning. The fence is electric. (Seriously, what would the Liars do without her? They would get fried, that’s what.) The Liars are completely and utterly trapped and, as the camera pans back into the atmosphere, we realize just how isolated they truly are. The patch of land they’re standing on is surrounded by acres of trees. Unless that EMP has another zap left in it, the Liars are most likely going to have to head back into “A”’s dollhouse — if not for the comfy beds, then for the cookies.
Meanwhile, across town at the old Campbell orchard, the police find “A”’s surveillance setup. Tannerfinally realizes just how wrong she has been, catching a video recording of the Liars trapped inside of the dollhouse with a not-dead Mona. Whoops! We have to admit: with this ending, we’re not sure what to expect from Season 6. Will the Liars spend 12 episodes stuck in the dollhouse, trying to escape? Will “A” craft a maze in the forest surrounding his bunker? Will the Liars ever finish a game of Mystery Date?! These are the questions we still need answered!
Source: http://www.wetpaint.com/season-5-finale-recap-big-1398107/