- Title: Pretty Little Liars – How the ‘A’ Stole Christmas
- wiki: link
Christmas comes to Rosewood but it’s far from festive with Toby (Keegan Allen) nursing a broken leg, Hanna (Ashley Benson) mourning the death of Mona (Janel Parrish), and Spencer (Troian Bellisario) out on bail facing charges of murdering Bethany Young. Alison‘s (Sasha Pieterse) Ice Ball winter party blowout offers the Liars an opportunity to do something about the later as they use the gala as a smokescreen to try and find information that might keep their friend out of prison. Although successful, breaking into Ali’s home gets both Spencer and Hanna attacked by a cloaked figure who (as always) may or may not have been A.
The big Christmas ball brings plenty of pageantry and stylized fashion to the show’s Christmas episode not only for the Liars but also their supporting characters. It also delivers a special Christmas outfit for Spencer (as well as the Liars significant others late in the show). In the show about spending the holiday with your loved ones it’s an intersting choice to end with the Emily (Shay Mitchell), Hanna, Spencer, and Aria (Lucy Hale) spending time not with their individual families (no parent makes an appearance here) but with each other and their loved ones: Paige (Lindsey Shaw), Caleb (Tyler Blackburn). Looks like they’re growing up.
Despite her recent demise on the show, Janel Parrish actually earns quite a bit of screentime this week as Mona’s ghost who begins haunting Alison showing her former adversary glimpses of Christmases past and yet to come. It’s an odd subplot that doesn’t offer a big payoff by de-Scrooging Ali, but it works to keep Mona involved in the show one more episode. While not being haunted, Alison’s machinations continue putting together a new group of four masked friends to attend her ball with, and sneaking out twice to make out with a mysterious Santa Claus and later to meet with Cece Drake (Vanessa Ray) in private away from prying eyes. As to what both Ali and A have planned, we’ll have to wait until January when the show’s Fifth Season resumes.
