Now You See Me, Now You Don't

Now You See Me, Now You Don't is the twelfth episode and it marks the summer finale of Season 4 of Pretty Little Liars. This episode aired on August 27, 2013. The episode is referred to as "#WorldWarA" by ABC Family.

Synopsis
News of Travis’s testimony spreads through Rosewood, and is seen on the news by Aria, Emily, Spencer and Hanna in Spencer’s kitchen. It is revealed that the cops want Ashley to be in a lineup for Travis, and Hanna is worried about it. Meanwhile, the doorbell rings and Spencer goes to get it.

Spencer finds a package outside the door and brings it into the kitchen. It is addressed to all four girls. They open the package to find magic 8 balls, which spell out the phrase: “If she goes free, you’ll hear from me. Kisses —A”. They worry that if Hanna’s mom goes free, then CeCe will come after them. Emily says to let her, but Spencer notes that she might have just declared “World War A”.

At the police station, Travis watches the lineup of women. At school, after Ezra’s class, Ezra pulls Aria aside and thanks her for stopping by the previous night. Aria says she is glad to be there for him as a friend and walks out into the hall, leaving Ezra looking disappointed. In the hall, Aria calls Jake and asks him if he wants to go to a poetry reading, but settles on a movie at her house instead.

After school, Hanna and Caleb go to the police station to find out if Ashley would be free of the charges. Caleb sits with Ashley and she thanks Caleb for being there for Hanna. Caleb says that Hanna is a strong girl, and she gets it from Ashley. The district attorney arrives and breaks the news that they are clearing all charges against Ashley, and while Hanna and Ashley hug, Caleb nods a thank you to Travis.

Paige and Emily sit outside of the school. Paige says she is thrilled for Hanna and her mom, but is worried about Emily. Emily replies that A is a terrorist and it’s working on them. She says that they now know to look out for CeCe. Paige offers for Emily to stay with her at night, and Emily happily agrees.

Toby has not been seen or heard from since the night before, and Spencer is worried. She leaves numerous messages on his cell, but to no use. That afternoon, Ashley goes out to celebrate with Ted, leaving the four girls at Hanna’s house. Soon after she leaves, the doorbell rings and when Hanna opens the door, she finds another package. She brings it into the house.

The girls open it and find a small white coffin, and inside is a doll that represents Mona. They get a text from A, which threatens that if they don’t find Mona, the cops will think that they killed her. Hanna calls Radley to see if Mona is still there, but in the meantime, Caleb stops by and they watch the news. A sketch of a blonde woman, who looks uncannily like CeCe, is shown and wanted for questioning about the murder of Wilden. They are now all convinced that CeCe did, in fact, kill Wilden. Caleb notes that someone has to recognize her, and Emily says that they have to find Mona fast.

Off the phone with Radley, Hanna says that Mona is no longer a patient there and it is privileged information on whether she was released or moved to a different hospital. Spencer says that she’ll go see Wren and see if knows anything, and tells Emily to stop by the school and see if anyone in Mona’s French club knows anything. Emily says that she will go with Paige. Hanna goes out to look for Mona.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">At Wren’s apartment, Spencer knocks but no one answers. She looks through a window and sees that it is deserted, apart from a few suitcases and old pictures. As she leaves, she sees Jenna’s old car, and when she turns to look at the window, she sees a figure step away from it. We see that it is Shana who is inside Wren’s place.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">At the school, Paige and Emily enter the French club and meet Jackie, a fellow student. After some talking, Jackie reveals that Mona called and said that she would be there. Jackie says that she is surprised that Mona hasn’t shown up, since this is her welcome back party.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">That night, in a room above the Brew, Toby is crying. He sits and takes out a box full of his mother’s things, looking over a card he had made for her years ago and an old locket. He gets yet another message from Spencer, but he ignores it and walks down into the Brew. He sees Shana, who gathers some papers and walks away. However, she unknowingly drops a paper, and Toby picks it up. It is a paper that suggests that Melissa and Wren would be moving in together.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">He goes to Spencer’s house and shows her the paper, while on the news, CeCe Drake is identified and is wanted for the murder of Darren Wilden. Spencer turns off the news and wants to talk to Toby about what had happened the night before. She is angry that he didn’t try to contact her—although he apologizes, she is still upset and tells him that he can’t just disappear like that, not after what happened last time (referring to Spencer finding what she thought was Toby in the woods). Toby says that he stayed in Rosewood for her, and that breaking into Palmer’s car was the closest he wants to get to A. He no longer wants A’s version of the truth.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">At Aria’s house, Aria and Jake watch an old movie, though Jake is asleep. When he wakes up, he tells her that he wants to go home and rest, so he leaves. Meanwhile, Hanna and Caleb sit in their car outside Mona’s house in case Mona arrives. Caleb still doesn’t trust her, but Hanna says that she stuck her neck out for her mom. Caleb says that if Mona is in trouble, it isn’t Hanna’s fault.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">Emily is at Paige’s house, looking tense. Paige tells her not to worry and that she is safe here, but Emily says she is worried about Mona. Paige says that she understands worrying about CeCe, but not Mona. Emily replies that they made Mona how she turned out to be, but Paige says that Alison did that. Emily says that they let her.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">Aria goes to the Brew to watch the poetry reading, but it is already over. She runs into Ezra there, and they strike up a conversation about one of Aria’s poems about Ali. They continue to talk about writing and such, and it is as almost if the two had never broken up. As they talk, we see a montage of Caleb and Hanna in the car outside of Mona’s house, Paige and Emily laying down in Paige’s room, and Toby and Spencer in Spencer’s house, sitting on the couch by the fireplace. We return to Aria and Ezra…they are sitting on a couch in the Brew, deep in conversation, when Aria suddenly kisses him on the lips. The two try to play it off and continue to talk…while Red Coat watches them from afar.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">The next day, the four girls are gathered at Spencer’s house. None of them have found Mona and they are worried. The doorbell rings and another package arrives; Spencer brings it in and the girls open it. It appears to be an empty black wooden box, but when Spencer opens it in a certain way, a saw appears in the box. On the saw is a message from A about making a girl disappear, and Spencer realizes that A is putting on a magic show and wants the girls to attend.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">Toby and Caleb are waiting outside Mona’s house. The two note that Mona’s parents seem to be out of town. Caleb goes home while Toby stays outside her house. Back at Spencer’s, Hanna studies the box while the others go online to see if there are any magic shows going non nearby. They find one that is taking place in Ravenswood that very day, and they decide that it can’t be coincidence. They head out for Ravenswood.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">Outside Mona’s house, Jenna’s car pulls out of the driveway and Toby starts his car to follow it. He calls Spencer from the road and tells her while the four girls pull into Ravenswood. Spencer tells the others that Shana is driving Jenna’s car and that Toby is following her.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">The girls find a sign leading them to Charlemagne’s Magic Show, an outdoor magic show hosted by a strange mime. The girls see a strange man watching them, and they all feel nervous. The mime picks Aria for a disappearing act and after much hesitation from Aria, she agrees. The trick goes well, and afterwards, they notice that Emily is missing. They get a text from A that reads “leger de main”, which means “sleight of hand”. The girls realize that while they were distracted, A kidnapped Emily.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">They call Emily’s cell phone, and she is awoken by the ringing. She wakes up in a box, and she answers the phone. She tells the girls that she has no idea where she is and she begins to panic when she hears a saw coming for her. The girls turn and see Red Coat running away from them, turning a corner.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">The girls chase her into an old warehouse, and see a wooden coffin chained up on a conveyor belt, headed for an electric wood cutting saw. The girls race to the coffin and try to open it, with Emily screaming inside. They try to cut the chains, but the coffin is just about to hit the saw…

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">And then Red Coat presses a button, which stops the machine. The girls turn, and see Red Coat leave the building…but then there is another Red Coat heading up the stairs! The girls realize that there are two Red Coats, and while Hanna opens the coffin and gets Emily out, Aria chases one Red Coat while Spencer leaves the building to chase the other.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">Spencer follows her Red Coat down the street and into a building, while Aria chases her Red Coat up the stairs. On the upper floor of the warehouse, Aria’s Red Coat becomes cornered by Aria and a small fight ensues. They fight each other, before finally, Aria kicks Red Coat in the face, which dislodges her Ali mask—and we see that Aria’s Red Coat is, indeed. CeCe Drake.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">“Give it up, CeCe!” Aria screams, but CeCe kicks Aria and climbs onto a rope that is hanging from the ceiling—before suddenly, the rope snaps. Aria grabs her arm to prevent CeCe from falling, but it is no use—the sleeve of the red coat begins to tear, and CeCe falls.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">Spencer returns to the warehouse, breathless, and Aria gets downstairs. They are not sure if CeCe is alive or dead or unconscious, but Aria feels responsible for CeCe’s fall. The girls turn away from CeCe to console Aria, who wants to call the police. We see CeCe’s hand twitch, meaning she is alive, and when the girls turn around, CeCe is gone.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">Spencer rushes the girls out of the warehouse quickly, saying that she needs to show them something. She says that the Red Coat she chased might have been Ali, because she waited for Spencer to catch up, as if making sure Spencer followed her.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">They arrive at the apartment building Red Coat brought Spencer to. They go up to the apartment and find the entire apartment filled with blown up, huge pictures of Alison—portraits, candid shots and more. In one painting, a small hole is cut out, and we see that someone is watching them. This person seems to be wearing mascara, leading us to believe that this is a girl.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">There are whiteboards showing a timeline of each girl’s lives since the messages began, reaching all the way back to Ali’s funeral. Hanna glances at some desks and sees a diary with a lock on it. She slides it into her pocket. The girls walk around the apartment and find a large computer system with multiple screens, all monitoring the police, watching the streets and the girls’ alarm systems, as well. They now know how A has been keeping tabs on all of them.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">Toby follows Shana to River Valley Bed and Breakfast, which appears to be in Ravenswood. Mona is sitting a porch, knitting, and Shana approaches her. Mona asks if Shana is sure “she” is okay with “this”, but Shana says “she” doesn’t have a choice. She hands Mona an envelope. Toby watches the two talk.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">Back in A’s lair, the girls try to hack A’s computer system. They call Caleb for help, but his hacking talents don’t appear to be working. Caleb says that he will get on the next bus to Ravenswood.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">Spencer finds A’s bank account, and it seems like A has formed a corporation. According to the document, CeCe is on the payroll. The girls wonder if A paid CeCe to dress up as Red Coat to lead the girls away from Ali. Meanwhile, the person behind the painting continues to watch them.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">Hanna opens a wardrobe and sees multiple men’s suits and shoes. “I think A is a guy,” she says, and the girls look at the suits. Emily picks up what appears to be a large scrap book, which is filled with pictures of Ali posing, and she is wearing the same outfit in each one. Hanna says she remembered buying the shirt with Ali, and she had said she needed it for a date that night with an older guy. Spencer guesses that it was Wren, but Aria notices that A has been keeping tabs on Wren, too.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">Spencer insists that everything has to lead back to Board Shorts, and that the name of A’s company is the same name of Ali’s favorite beach in Cape May. The girls wonder if Board Shorts took these photos, and if that is who CeCe is working for. Meanwhile, Aria wonders off to another whiteboard, and sees a complete timeline for Ali. While Aria examines it, the girls find a letter to Board Shorts that reveals that Ali met him in Rosewood and she lied about her age—she claimed to be eighteen, and she was planning on taking him to Cape May.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">Aria calls the girls over to Ali’s timeline, and says that A hasn’t only been following the girls, but also Ali, too. He has pinned Ali to the fire at the lodge has been following her trail to Ravenswood, according to the timeline. The girls stare at it in shock, and Emily says, “If Ali has been alive this whole time, then whose funeral did we go to?”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">They see a picture on the timeline of a gas mask costume, and they also see a flier for a celebration of Ravenswood later that night. On the flier, written in red, is a note that says: Tonight, Alison, 11 PM. The girls realize that Board Shorts thinks Ali is going to be at the celebration. Spencer says that they need to find Ali first.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">They walk out of the building. Night has fallen, and the celebration will be starting soon. They are approached by Mrs. Grunwald, who tells them that it is dangerous for them to go chasing after Ali. Spencer says that she thought she never knew Ali, but Grunwald says that she lied to protect Ali.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">According to Grunwald, Ali called Grunwald that summer to find out who was stalking her. Mrs. Grunwald believes herself to be a psychic, which is why Ali called her. The night Ali went missing, Mrs. Grunwald had a bad feeling. So, she drove to Rosewood and to the DiLaurentis house. She walked into her backyard and saw Ali reaching up from the ground. Mrs. Grunwald pulled her out of the ground. She was bleeding from the head and was very confused. She put Ali into the car and drove her to the hospital. When they got there, Mrs. Grunwald ran in to get help, but while she was gone, Alison ran away.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">When the girls ask for confirmation that Ali is still alive, Mrs. Grunwald says, “Haven’t you all felt it? She was never really gone.” She says she hasn’t seen Ali since that night, and says she probably won’t until she finds someone that she can trust. The girls say that Ali can trust them and she knows that, but Mrs. Grunwald says she isn’t sure about that.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">When asked why she didn’t go to the police, Mrs. Grunwald says, “She doesn’t want to be found!” When asked why she is telling them this now, she says that they are all being watched and they need to leave Ravenswood. She says that he (Board Shorts/A) is hoping that they will lead him to Alison. They hear laughter—the celebration is beginning. Mrs. Grunwald walks away, saying: “He’s here.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">In Rosewood, Caleb boards a bus that will take him to Ravenswood. Back in Ravenswood, Aria wants to leave the town, but the others say that they need to find Ali before A does. Aria isn’t sure she believes Grunwald, but the rest do, so they decide to buy costumes for the celebration.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">A figure dressed in black watches the girls from the shadows…he walks to A’s apartment and walks inside, and when he sees that someone was in there, he angrily slams his wardrobe shut. He is Board Shorts, he is A. He is Ezra Fitz.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">In the final shot, a man dresses in the gas mask costume, apparently getting ready for the celebration in Ravenswood.

Title and Background

 * Aria falls victim to a "vanishing" magic trick while in Ravenswood, leading to the the title. During the magic show, Emily is kidnapped by Red Coat
 * The title might refer to Red Coat, A, The Black Widow or Alison DiLaurentis. Alison often appears in the Liars' hallucinations and disappears without a trace. Red Coat and A often show up around the Liars and/or attack them, and quickly get away.

Main Cast

 * Troian Bellisario as Spencer Hastings
 * Ashley Benson as Hanna Marin
 * Shay Mitchell as Emily Fields
 * Lucy Hale as Aria Montgomery
 * Janel Parrish as Mona Vanderwaal
 * Sasha Pieterse as Alison DiLaurentis

Guest Cast

 * Vanessa Ray as CeCe Drake
 * Tyler Blackburn as Caleb Rivers
 * Ian Harding as Ezra Fitz
 * Keegan Allen as Toby Cavanaugh
 * Laura Leighton as Ashley Marin
 * TBA as Jackie
 * Lindsey Shaw as Paige McCullers
 * Ryan Guzman as Jake
 * Marcia Clark as Sidney Barnes
 * Luke Kleintank as Travis
 * Meg Foster as Carla Grunwald
 * Aeriel Miranda as Shana

Trivia

 * Bryan began to write his outline on June 10, 2013.
 * Marlene and Bryan blended their outlines together on June 13, 2013.
 * The outline was completed on June 14, 2013.
 * Marlene started writing the script on June 16, 2013
 * The prop meeting was on June 22, 2013.
 * The script was finalized and completed on June 24, 2013.
 * The table read was on June 26, 2013.
 * Filming began on July 8, 2013, after a hiatus, and ended on July 16, 2013.
 * This episode marks Norman's 16th episode shooting PLL.