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This week’s episode can only be certified as a major game-changer. Spencer makers a life-changing discover while Aria is held hostage and two of the girls’ significant others team up to take down Mona. It’s been a really long time since I praised this show. In fact, I’m forgoing the mocking GIFs this week to talk about how fantastic lats night’s show was. It was filled with campy drama, ridiculous A shenanigans, and a heartbreaking performance by Troian Belllisario when Spencer discovered Toby’s secret. I was actually caught up in the episode and anxious to see what happened for the first time in a long while.
Let’s start with the backdrop for the episode: Spencer and Toby’s anniversary. I’ve rooted for these two from day one and I’m still (and always will) struggle with Toby being on Team A and in turn borderline psychopathic. He’s been such a good boyfriend to Spencer and really fought for her this whole way. This is why I have such issues with the writers putting him on Team A and then practically changing his entire personality. He’s darker, dead in the eyes, and constantly on edge. Or does knowing he’s on Team A force me to just now see all of this? I’m still confused and always will be.
Anyway, Spencer spent most of the episode planning a major surprise for Toby on their anniversary. Emily was in on the ruse and managed to get the keys to Toby’s apartment, so she could sneak in and set up her romantic meal. If you ignored that Toby is crazy, it was really quite cute. While she was planning their evening, Toby was making plans with Mona, who told him it was time the girls remembered that she is in charge. Uh, oh!
Meanwhile, Hanna had an interview with a designer named Corin. Once she got to the store, a hooded figure beat her to the floor with mannequins. Prior to this she’d caught Caleb talking to someone on the phone about taking Mona down. Turns out, it was Paige!
Aria had the worst luck this week. Whatever illness (and thankfully it does’t look like a pregnancy) she had continued to take its toll and Meredith continued to nurse her back to health. By nurse, I mean drug her tea, steal her cell phone, and lock her in her bedroom. Aria had a dream about Alison, who told her not to trust Meredith or drink her tea and that she was more alive than she’d ever been. Dun, dun, dun! Later, Aria battled Meredith to escape, but was hit over the head and knocked out. Hanna and Emily arrived to help her and ended up locked in the basement with Aria as well. Thankfully, Byron came to the rescue and explained what happened when he saw Alison that night. He had decided to stop paying her and then come clean. Nothing more, nothing less.
Now, let’s get back to Spencer and Toby’s anniversary. Amid all this drama a storm hit Rosewood and after waiting around at Toby’s, she must have decided to go home. When the hooded figure had attacked Hanna in the store, they dropped a key with an “A” keychain. Spencer ended up with it and Toby spied it earlier in the episode. When Spencer went home that night, she found Toby rummaging through the drawers in the kitchen. She came up behind him, holding the key, and he turned around and asked, “How long have you known?” Spencer slapped him (and we all pumped out fists in the air for her). When she was in his apartment, she’d found his Radley ID in a drawer, which the camera had panned too, but we’d all thought she’d miss. Major kudos for letting Spencer be smart!
After Toby left, Spencer broke down in her mothers arms, then went to Toby’s, and sobbed outside his door, begging him to tell her this wasn’t real. It was heartbreaking. Troian was absolutely fantastic. And I may have been tempted to shed a tear or two.
How do you feel about Toby’s big reveal? Do you think things are really over for her and Toby?
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