Through Many Dangers, Toils, and Snares

Through Many Dangers, Toils, and Snares is the 14th episode in the 2nd Season of Pretty Little Liars. This episode marks the January premiere of Pretty Little Liars and takes place over a month after "Over My Dead Body." It aired on January 2, 2012.

Synopsis
The episode begins with little girls playing jumprope on the side walk in front of the church. They chant "Pretty Little Liars" as they play. Nearby, on the Rosewood Camp Grounds, the four girls are picking up trash for community service. Two strangers also doing time make snarky comments in front of the girls about them, and when one says they killed someone, Emily snaps at her by saying they didn't do anything. Spencer tells Emily to stop talking to them. Emily tells the other girls that Spencer's mom would sell them out in a second to save Spencer and that they should consider making a deal with "A." A fight ensues. Aria and the guards break it up, earning both Spencer and Emily two extra weeks of community service. Meanwhile, Garrett takes in the whole scene giddily from his car, where he is calmly eating snacks.

The next morning, Hanna talks to Ashley in the kitchen. She asks why Hanna ruined her father's wedding. She said it had to be done and regrets they wound up at a Justice of the Peace to get married anyway. Hanna leaves the room when Emily enters. Ashley expresses her surprise that they are still fighting. As Ashley leaves, Emily receives a fax that puts a smile on her face.

{C}{C Next, Aria is walking down Main Street with Mike, sporting a cup of coffee. Mike shares details about his psychiatrist with Aria and reveals his worries that the family regards him as pill-popper now that he is taking antidepressants. Aria reassures him just before bumping into Ezra. Ezra openly mentions to Aria that he hasn't seen her in a while, and she lets him know that she intends to return the book of poetry he loaned her. After Ezra gives her a look, Aria gives Mike her coffee cup to dump a distance away so that she can quickly explain to Ezra why she has suspended their relationship. Mike looks on in wonder before returning to Aria. They all exchange awkward goodbyes and go their separate ways.

Later at school, Spencer overhears Garrett on the phone with Jenna, learning that she won't be coming to school that day. Spencer approaches, congratulating him on going public with his secret relationship. Garret informs her it was private, not secret. Spencer grills Garrett on all of his interesting connections - namely Jason, and Ian, as if they were all in some sort of club together. He dismisses this and makes a snide comment on Jason disappearing just like Dr. Sullivan.

Emily shows the fax to the swim coach. It is from her doctor clearing her of all medical. Emily expects to be immediately welcomed back onto the team, but the coach tells her there are other considerations, such as Emily's reputation and outstanding community service. It is up to the principal to decide.

In class, Spencer hands in her extra credit assignment on Vonnegut to Mrs. Montgomery. Ella is cool toward her. Then, Emily walks into the classroom and bumps into Spencer as she is turning away from the desk. Angered, she pushes Spencer's books in retaliation onto the floor while the other girls look on. Mrs. Montgomery breaks up the fight and the two girls pick up each other's copy of "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter." Just then Emily receives a text from A asking if she wants to make a deal. Checking that no one is watching first, she picks up the chalk and circles the word "yes" on the board before finding her seat.

After class, Aria walks down the hall with Hanna recounting the awkward morning with Ezra and wishing she could have explained why she had to break up with him. Hanna reminds her she had no choice. Emily passes by and they both give her the cold shoulder. It appears Hanna and Aria are closer than ever while Emily is being freezed out. At her locker, Emily finds a note in the book she picked up arranging a meeting at 10 PM. Emily seems unfazed that the name on the inside cover reads "Spencer Hastings."

Outside, Lucas tells Hanna he found another photo of her doing community service on the internet. She debates whether she wants to see it, then decides she does. Lucas minimizes the site he was looking at to show her the photo and insists she looks pretty in it.

Later that day, Byron visits Ezra in his office. They discuss combining their classes to watch a film one day and finishing the dinner that was interrupted. Byron gets a text and mentions how he has had to deal with so many lawyers lately, referring to Aria's arrest. Ezra is sympathetic and asks how things have been. He says he knows Aria well enough to know that Aria would never hurt Ella or Byron on purpose. He agrees with Byron's notion that no one ever starts out intending to hurt anyone.

Toby waits for Spencer outside the gates of her house with his truck. He asks about her family. She tells him Melissa is having tests done in Philadelphia and her parents are with her. Toby feels bad Spencer is home all alone. He unveils the rocking chair he made for her. She says she can't accept the gift and that he should stay away from her.

That night, all 4 girls meet at the greenhouse. Emily shows them the text she got from "A" earlier. It becomes clear that all the fighting and sniping earlier had been for show. Spencer revels in the knowledge she rattled Garrett's cage. They openly discuss the details of their plan to trap "A." Emily will go to the greenhouse with the box of "evidence" while Spencer, Aria, and Hanna hide outside and come to aid her when the time is right.

Caleb returns and Hanna is very happy to see him. They kiss in her foyer while Lucas looks on awkwardly.

Emily attends the swim meet even though she is not back on the team yet. She talks to Toby and Jenna and Garrett and their strange relationship. He asks about Spencer, but Emily has nothing to say. She assures him she is not shutting him out. Garret waits for Jenna nearby and Toby buys a ticket to get inside.



Aria stops at Ezra's empty office to return the book she mentioned earlier. She puts the book down on Ezra's desk, with a letter folded inside, then thinks better of it and removes the letter. Jackie sneaks up behind her and snatches the letter out of her hand reminding Aria about the deal they made. Aria ensures her she broke up with Ezra and was simply returning a book. Ezra walks in on them arguing, stunned.

After Jackie leaves, he finally learns from Aria why she broke up with him, remarking how dangerous their relationship had been. Jackie had been blackmailing her and after all the trouble with the cops, Aria didn't want to drag Ezra into it. Ezra regrets nother mother the truth in the police station. Aria is about to leave, resigned to the futility of the situation when Ezra asks if she still trusts him. She answers yes and he informs her that there is something important they have to do that afternoon.

Caleb approaches Lucas outside during the swim meet. Lucas is intolerant to chlorine and has to use eyedrops. Caleb thanks him for keeping an eye on Hanna while he was away and lets him know he plans to finish out the school year before deciding if he'll move to California to be with his birth mom and family. Lucas says he is welcome to continue staying at his house and also warns him about hurting Hanna in the future. Caleb assures him he won't.

Aria arrives late to the swim meet, apologizing to Spencer, saying "it's complicated." She made it just in the nick of time to put their plan into action. Emily exits the gym after the swim meet, spots the girls, and demands the box Jason gave Aria for all to hear. She declares she knows where Spencer hid the box and storms off. The other girls feign annoyance with Caleb, Lucas, Toby, Garrett and other students looking on. Emily gets another text from "A."

Later, standing before Byron and Ella in their living room, Ezra and Aria finally come clean about their relationship, much to her parents' shock and anger. Ezra does most of the talking, explaining he's in love with Aria and admits it started before she was his student and that it continued while she was his student. Aria stands up and assures them it's true, slipping her hand into Ezra's. Ella and Byron are both in disbelief. Ella tries to send Mike and Aria upstairs, but Aria refuses. Before Byron can hit Ezra, Mike walks up and does it first. After a stunned silence, Aria advises Ezra to leave.

{C}{C Ella and Byron discuss what just transpired. Byron accuses Ella of knowing about this. She explains she thought she knew about Ezra and Spencer Hastings, but never gave him the chance to deny it. Byron declares the man is finished and Ella supposes he is right, but they have to consider what Aria may have been thinking when she got involved with Ezra, at a confusing time when she was still keeping the secret of her father's affair. Aria comes downstairs and asks them not to make a decision tonight, to consider for a moment that their relationship is real. They don't seem to accept this possibility. Ella can barely look at her. They send her back upstairs.

Ezra is in his office reclined on his sofa, contemplative, and drinking. Jackie walks in and tries to defend her actions. Ezra tells her to go away. Spying his injured lip, she realizes he must have told her parents and guesses that Professor Montgomery hit him. Aggravated by her presence, he stands up and tells Jackie in no uncertain terms that he does not want anything to do with her and that she will not do anything to hurt Aria then kicks her out of his office.

{C}{C Ashley prevents Hanna from leaving the house by telling her Tom is coming over to talk. Spencer is about to leave as well, but Toby pushes his way into her house to find out what is going on. He accuses Spencer of acting just like Ali, trying to take her place. Spencer says he just has to trust it is not what he thinks and if he lets her go, everything could change tonight. Hanna learns that her dad, step-mom, and step-sister Kate will be moving to Rosewood and doesn't hide her displeasure. Tom doesn't hide his frustration with Hanna either, so Ashley steps in to remind them he is moving to Rosewood to be close with his daughter because he loves her. Emily arrives at the greenhouse before Hanna, Spencer, and Aria even leave their respective houses.

Spencer pulls up to the greenhouse and learns from Aria on the phone that she told her parents about her relationship with Ezra and that she was sent to her room. Spencer panics and texts Emily not to go inside, but Emily is already inside. Mike catches her trying to sneak out of the house, mistakenly assuming it is to see Mr. Fitz. He explains he hit him to prevent Byron from doing it first, then offers her an alternative exit from the house - out his bedroom window. Aria realizes this is how he has been sneaking out all along.

Emily removes the wooden box from a trunk in the greenhouse. She turns around and sees "A," wearing a hooded sweatshirt, identity shrouded in shadow. Emily talks to A, slowly moving toward the mysterious figure, eventually opening the box to reveal the evidence A came for - nothing! A doesn't take kindly to being tricked. "A" attacks Emily, throwing her over a table, holding her down on the ground first trying to stab her, but failing, then beginning to choke her with her own scarf. Spencer and Aria's arrival scares "A" away from Emily. They corner "A," who throws a heavy object into the air, shattering the glass above them, and uses the moment of confusion to escape.

The three chase "A" outside, who runs directly into the path of Hanna's car, just arriving on the scene. "A," however, shows to suffer no major damage and continues to run through the woods, losing the girls. Spencer shouts that now they have nothing. Frustrated, they return to greenhouse and discover "A"s phone on the ground under Hanna's front headlight. They all stare at it thinking the same thing - they may have actually found hard evidence to expose the identity of "A."

The episode ends with "A" going back to their car, realizing their phone fell out of the torn pocket of their sweatshirt, and freaking out a bit. "A" smashes the driver's side mirror in frustration.

Continuity

 * In "Keep Your Friends Close," "A" took credit for running Hanna over with a car. Things are full circle here, as Hanna (accidentally) hits "A" with her car, as "A" is fleeing from the greenhouse.

Main Cast
Troian Bellisario as Spencer Hastings Ashley Benson as Hanna Marin Lucy Hale as Aria Montgomery Shay Mitchell as Emily Fields

Guest Stars
Ian Harding as Ezra Fitz Keegan Allen as Toby Cavanaugh Brendan Robinson as Lucas Gottesman Yani Gellman as Garrett Reynolds Tyler Blackburn as Caleb Rivers Chad Lowe as Byron Montgomery Cody Allen Christian as Mike Montgomery Holly Marie Combs as Ella Montgomery Paloma Guzmán as Jackie Molina Henree Alyse as Coach Slocomb