'A' is for A-l-i-v-e

"The truth won't set you free, bitches. I'm going to bury you with it."

- A

'A' is for A-l-i-v-e is the first episode of Season 4 of Pretty Little Liars. This episode marks the Season 4 premiere. The episode aired on June 11, 2013.

Synopsis
A dead pig is found inside the trunk. Believing they've been set up, the girls begin to flee, except for Hanna who does her best to hurry Mona. Mona is able to take the video from the police car and flees with the girls.

Back at the house, the girls confront Mona about how she got the car out of the lake (which she didn't) and what she actually knows. She reveals to them which crimes she did commit and which she didn't, including that she did not push Ian off the bell tower, but she wish she knew who did. She also reveals that Jenna knew Shana before she came to town and that she thinks Shana is in love with Jenna. Mona also states that the two of them are afraid of Melissa Hastings.

The next morning, Mona appears to be gone but in actuality she went to pick up coffee for the girls. Mona is determined to find out who Red Coat is and she’s expecting help from them.

Mona is taking them to her lair when they get stuck in traffic due to what they thought was the cop car from last night. Instead they see that there’s a body next to the car. Darren Wilden is dead and now the girls will become suspects.

They reach the lair. Mona is showing them footage from the night of the Halloween train party, right before Aria and Garrett were going to be pushed off board. Wilden is revealed to be the Queen of Hearts and was talking to a second Queen of Hearts whom Mona claimed was Spencer’s sister, Melissa, but before this is proven, the footage begins disappearing. Someone is hacking Mona's computer and trying to erase all of her files, but Mona shuts off the computer. The girls then go outside and meet a group of little girls, each of whom were gifted a doll that was named after all of the “Liars” and Mona, featuring Hefty Hanna and Aria in her pink streak days.

Emily and Hanna are in their room when Emily’s mother comes in. Pam tells the girls about Alison’s mother moving back. To Hanna, this is even more proof that Alison is still alive and it was she who removed them from the fire at the lodge, but Emily still doesn't believe it's true.

Spencer and Toby are searching among the ashes of the burned lodge. Spencer needs to find something that would help identify Red Coat when she begins to try and convince Toby that maybe Alison really is back. He doesn't believe her and tells her that Alison died two years ago. She doesn't have time to convince him as she sees another person is with them. Unfortunately, the moment she told Toby this, the mysterious third party made a run for it.

Emily takes a basket her mother made for Jessica DiLaurentis to welcome her back. Jessica asks Emily to help her bring some boxes into Alison's old bedroom containing all of Alison's belongings. Emily finds it odd that Jessica is setting up the bedroom as if Alison is alive. Later, Emily calls to tell Hanna about the creepy shrine. Their call has to come to an end though because Hanna is helping Mona lock up some things. Weirdly enough Mona is believing they could be friends again and thinks this bonding would lead to it. Mona admits she did put the police car in Hanna's garage, but did not pull it out of the lake.

Spencer is trying to get an alibi for her and her friends but with no luck. Toby takes her mind off it by cooking her breakfast. She’s happy and calling him her boyfriend again when suddenly he gets a message from “A”. Yet he doesn't tell her about it.

Emily and Aria are at the lunch. Even though Aria and her ex-boyfriend ,Ezra, had called it off, she’s still attracting to him and can’t stop looking, but she has to because the vice principal is watching her like a hawk. She only begins to truly freak out when she gets called into the vice principal’s office. She believes he called her because some concerned student had sent in proof of Aria and Ezra. It turns out he just wants her mom to sign some papers. Aria sends Ezra a message confirming that she wants to see other people, knowing that it's way to risky to get back together with him.

Later, Emily is in her room with Paige talking about college and the future. Paige tells Emily that she has been accepted to Stanford University on a full ride scholarship. She asks Emily to go to California with her, despite of Emily's hopes of going to Danby. Emily happily accepts.

Hanna thinks she’s playing Mona but she’s remembering how good their friendship used to be. After their shopping trip, the girls decide to talk about boys. The conversation is strained and the silences are awkward. Hanna claims she had a good time but Mona makes it known that she knows all about Hanna’s plan. In order to win Hanna’s trust, she hands over the video.

After Emily bids Paige goodbye in her car, Jenna decides to have a little talk (it is shown from her point of view that her vision is blurry). She tells her that she was friends with Wilden but that’s not why she approached Emily. She wants Emily to pass on a message to Toby. She says she never ment to hurt Toby. Emily notices that the side of Jenna's hand is burned (hmm..). It's pointed out that everyone who saw Ali on the night she went missing is dead or probably going to die, which is news to Emily that Wilden was there that night.

Toby is driving the lair in order to drop it off to “A”. The stalker knows something about his mom and he’s trying to protect her. A flashback scene shows that Toby and Alison flirted and nearly kissed in his room when Toby's mother walks in. She seems sick, and Toby is worried about her, but Alison laughs and says she is weak, so Toby tells Ali to leave. Spencer gets a package from “A”. Inside is a photo of Wilden with a threatening message on it saying their secrets will be revealed in his open coffin.



The town does an impressive turn out for Wilden's funeral. The Liars even make a showing. However they believe that “A” may have left a message in the casket. Splitting up they each going searching for where the casket is being stored. Spencer is the one to find him. Mona is also there. She claims she got a message from “A” as well. “A” had left a cell phone in the casket with Wilden. When Spencer calls one of the contacts; it’s Hanna and she wants to know what Spencer is doing on her mom’s phone.

The girls don’t know what this means. Is Hanna’s mom the next target? For now they decide to focus on the funeral. Someone else is attending the funeral but the mystery woman isn’t removing her heavy veil. Not even when she goes into her car.

A new detective is on the scene (Wilden 2.0?) and he’s suspicious why the girls attended the funeral of a man who practically stalked them. Emily claims they’re supporting their city's police department. The four girls and Mona receive a text from A, and Emily is sent a video showing the girls stealing the footage from the Wilden's police car. Will anyone believe them if “A” sends in her footage of the girls at the crime scene?

In A's Lair, a new member of the A Team is introduced: The Lady in Black, who is seen adding a Mona doll to the dollhouse with the other Liars. The woman in the mysterious veil has on an Alison mask that is burned on one side.

Main Cast

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

Guest Cast

 * Janel Parrish as Mona Vanderwaal
 * Ian Harding as Ezra Fitz
 * Tammin Sursok as Jenna Marshall
 * Keegan Allen as Toby Cavanaugh
 * Lindsey Shaw as Paige McCullers
 * Sean Faris as Gabriel Holbrook
 * Bryce Johnson as Darren Wilden
 * Larisa Oleynik as Maggie Cutler
 * Andrea Parker as Jessica DiLaurentis
 * Nia Peeples as Pam Fields
 * Karla Droege as Marion Cavanaugh
 * Wyatt Nash as Nigel
 * Mercy Malik as Newscaster

Trivia

 * The outline and development for the episode began in late January. Writing was complete on February 27.
 * The read-through was on March 12.
 * Shooting for the episode began on March 14, 2013 and ended on March 23, 2013.
 * I. Marlene King directed and wrote this episode.
 * This episode has a lot of similarities to the Pilot
 * Although Laura Leighton is credited, she does not appear in this episode.

Music

 * Kill Of The Night by Gin Wingmore (Toby watches the firefighters)
 * Whispers by Dave Baxter (Aria and Ezra at the Brew)
 * If I Lose Myself by One Republic (When Paige and Emily are talking)
 * The Devil Within by Digital Daggers (Girls confronted by Holbrook/Ending scene featuring The Lady in Black)
 * Hurricane by Ms Mr (Wilden's funeral)