Talia Sandoval

"I didn't say it because I was interested in him. I said it because I'm interested in you."

- Talia to Emily

Talia Sandoval (formerly Mendoza) is a character first introduced in Season 5 of Pretty Little Liars. She is portrayed by Miranda Rae Mayo.

Series
Fresh Meat
 * -|Season 5=

Talia is at The Brew with Ezra who tells her that her food is truly amazing. Talia then tells him that she’s “so glad” he likes it. As Emily walks in, Ezra tells her that he wants her to meet Talia, and when Talia tells Emily that it’s nice to meet her, Emily questions what is going on. Ezra explains that he asked Talia to help out tonight in the kitchen, and when Emily says the she doesn’t understand, Ezra pulls her aside, leaving Talia to pack away the food she bought Ezra to try.

In the kitchen, Talia screws up her nose when she smells something in a glass bowl. Taking another whiff, Talia asks Emily what it is, and Emily tells her that it’s filling for empanadas. Talia gives Emily a look, and Emily takes the bowl from her. Talia tells Emily that if the dough she just got from the fridge has been in there overnight she may want to…, but Emily cuts her off, telling that if she wanted advice, she would ask her mother, they do way back.

At The Brew’s relaunch party, Talia holds out a tray of food, and she has people from all directions taking pieces from it.

Talia walks into the kitchen as Emily is throwing out her disaster empanadas. Putting down her empty tray, Talia tells Emily not to do that, and that they can be saved. Emily bites at Talia, telling her that she’s not looking for a saviour. Talia tells Emily that if she told her how many times she bombed before she perfected even one signature dish, to which Emily says that she didn’t take this on to flaunt her brand, she needed the cash to save a relationship. Talia listens as an upset Emily says that it doesn’t make sense because that relationship doesn’t exist anymore, and now she’s stuck here making plans to go see someone whose moved across the country, started a new life and can’t even find a second to return any of her stupid emails. As Emily goes to throw away the empanadas again, Talia rushes over and asks if she can have the tray and as she plates up some of the empanadas, Talia tells Emily, “so the first kitchen that I ever worked in had a hard and fast rule. Just about any tapas can be rescued with either some slivered almonds or… the right sauce”. Offering up Emily the dish she just created, Talia tells Emily to “just try it”. Talia tells Emily that if she hates it, “you can spit it in my face”, before Emily reluctantly takes an empanada. Taking a bite, Emily finds that it’s actually pretty good and gives Talia a small smile.

Cleaning up after the party, Talia listens as Ezra says that thanks to her, he’s royally screwed. Talia comments that she’s scared to ask why, and Ezra says that everyone is raving about her. As Ezra questions what he’s going to do when he opens the place up, Talia tells him that he knows where to find her.

Over a Barrel

In The Brew, Talia comments that the cappuccino Emily has made has “nice foam”. Talia begins to suggest that if Emily starts from the top and work her way down to the bottom, but before she can finish, Emily cuts her off, telling her that she’s pretty sure she can figure it out. Commenting that she’s in Emily’s territory, Talia says that she’ll give Emily her space, and walks back towards the kitchen.

At The Brew’s front counter, Talia pulls out the cleaning supplies, and Emily says that there are some in the kitchen if she wants to clean, and she can show her. Talia says that she knows, “in the supply closest”, and that she was just to put the cleaning supplies with the rest. Emily mentions that that’s not usually wear they keep the front of house cleaning supplies, and telling Emily to listen, Talia explains that she just had some downtime and she doesn’t do well with idle hands. Emily says if there are some things that Talia thinks they should change, then great, just bring it up before she decides on her own. After saying “deal” to Emily, Talia mentions that she did want to ask, “do you think Ezra would go for a new uniform?”, and when Emily questions the word uniform, Talia tells her she wouldn’t want it anything fancy, just a polo with the logo. Going on, Talia says it should be something casual and cohesive, “just a little neater”, and when Emily asks what it would be neater than, Talia says that she was just noticing earlier that there is a little hole in the shoulder of Emily’s shirt, “and so I started thinking maybe”… Emily cuts Talia off, telling her that it’s a t-shirt and it’s comfortable, to which Talia says that perhaps they could wear something a little darker, “so that the stains don’t show”. Emily says that perhaps Talia should only come up with one new idea at a time, and telling Emily “yeah”, Talia grabs the cleaning supplies and heads back into the kitchen.

Talia is doing some food preparation when Emily walks into the kitchen. Tracking Emily’s movements, Talia asks her if her t-shirt was a gift, and when Emily asks her what, Talia goes on, “from the ex?” Going on, Talia mentions that Emily got defensive when she pointed out the hole in her shirt, to which Emily says that it’s not a big deal. Talia tells her that it is, and she’s sorry, “when someone’s important to you it can be hard to let go”. As Emily continues to say nothing, Talia says that there’s this dish and it’s a beef stew, “it’s called the Ropa Vieja” and it literally means “old clothes”. Talia explains that it’s one of those old recipes that comes from a hundred different places and everyone makes it the same way, “over and over”, but then every once in a while you’ve got to add some “yellow peppers, green olives”, flavour, colour, “and then, the same old thing can feel brand new”. Emily mentions that she’s not sure if she’s ready to feel brand new, and shrugging, Talia wonders how she can when she’s carrying her old relationship around on her back. As Emily walks out, Talia is on the cusp of saying something, but doesn’t.

Talia walks out of the kitchen after close, and Emily comments on the bottle of soda Talia’s holding. Saying that she doesn’t want a coffee, Talia adds that she loves caffeine. Talia questions if what Emily is wearing is her outside of work, “I may have to rethink that whole uniform idea”, to which Emily tells her that she’s not dressed up for anything, she’s just picking her pay cheque. Giving Emily the once over, Talia tells her that casual looks good on her, and after Emily thanks her, Talia wonders if she can ask Emily something, “it’s not work related, I promise”. Emily tells her okay, and Talia then questions what Emily thinks of “that”, before saying that there’s some cute buns on the “boss man”. When Emily says that she guesses, Talia shrugs and gives Emily a look.

The Bin of Sin

Walking from the kitchen, Talia places a pie on The Brew’s front counter. As she’s placing a card on top of the pie, Emily asks if she made the pie for Ezra, and Talia says that she did, “I heard pecan is his favourite”. Saying that she’s getting the feeling Talia thinks Ezra’s available, Emily tells Talia that he’s not, but Talia tells Emily that the pie is just a thankyou for hiring her, “not a marriage proposal”. Talia says that she’s sorry if she’s stepped on Emily’s turf, to which Emily comments that she’s not interested in Ezra, or any guys. Talia realises that Emily’s ex is a girl, and after confirming the fact, Emily tells Talia that Ezra is dating one of her good friends, so she may want to back off. Saying that it’s “good to know”, Talia heads back into the kitchen.

In The Brew’s kitchen, Talia is cooking when Emily walks in and comments that she didn’t think anyone else was back here. Talia comments that it’s just here and her apples, before noticing Emily’s demeanour and asking if she’s okay. Emily says she’s good, before explaining that Ezra asked her to close up. As Emily says she’ll just wait outside, Talia asks if she wants to take over, “and I’ll finish cleaning up”. Emily comments that they both know she’s not much of a cook, to which Talia says that Emily will be doing her a favour. Emily agrees, and as she walks over to the stovetop, Talia tells Emily to grab the wooden spoon she’s holding and stir. As Emily begins to stir the apples, Talia mentions that that’s all there is to it. Noticing something in Emily’s hair, Talia picks a leaf out and questions what Emily was doing, “running through the woods?” Laughing, Emily says she has no idea how that got in there, and throwing it into the trash, Talia says she’s going to put some things away. As the apples catch on fire, Talia rushing back over, and turns the stovetop off and places a pan over the apples. Telling Emily not to worry, Talia assures her that this happens sometimes, and when Emily says that she’s sorry, Talia tells her that it’s nothing, “trust me, the last place I worked at I almost burned the whole kitchen down”. Talia tells Emily that on second thought perhaps she should go wait out the front and she’ll finish up in the kitchen.

Walking out into The Brew, Talia tells Emily that she’s almost done, she just needs to wipe down the counters. After saying okay, Emily begins to apologise for ruining Talia’s dish, but Talia says she didn’t ruin it, “my apple pie is now apple flambé”. Emily goes on to say she’s not really herself today, and sitting down on the couch next to her, Talia asks if Emily wants to talk about it. Talia listens as Emily says that she doesn’t really, she just needs some sleep, rest and to recharge, before asking if she’s eaten. Emily admits that she hasn’t had much, and proffering Emily a plate, Talia tells her she can’t recharge on an empty stomach. Emily questions if Talia made the plate of food for her, and shrugging, Talia explains that mashed potatoes always make her feel better, “so maybe they’ll do the same for you”. Emily thanks her, before saying that she can’t imagine what Talia thinks of her, and when Talia just looks at her, Emily goes on to say that ever since Talia got here, she’s been a mess. As Emily says that first she tried to kick Talia out of the kitchen, and broke down about her ex, and now this, Talia goes to say something, but Emily cuts in before she has a chance, saying that she wouldn’t say she’s the smoothest person, but generally she’s a little less… Talia takes the opportunity to fill in the blank, “neurotic?”, to which both girls laugh. Talia mentions that being neurotic is probably better than coming across like a total control freak, “which is how I imagine you probably see me”. Emily tells her no, and after a short pause, Talia mentions that the other day when she made the comment about Ezra being cute, “I didn’t say it because I was interested in him. I said it because I’m interested in you”. Saying that she was trying to figure out if Emily was into guys or girls, “by your reaction”, Talia quickly changes the subject and tells Emily that she should go finish cleaning up the kitchen, before getting up and going to do so.

Oh, What Hard Luck Stories They All Hand Me

Talia checks over some supplies in The Brew’s kitchen.

In The Brew’s kitchen at Ezra’s makeshift desk, Talia is filling out some paperwork when Emily approaches her. When Emily asks if she’s feeling better, Talia questions the word, “better?”, before Emily explains that Ezra left a note saying that Talia called in yesterday. Shaking her head, Talia says that she wasn’t sick, “just had to take care of something”. As Talia goes back to her paperwork, Emily walks out and after she’s left, Talia looks over her shoulder towards the kitchen doors.

Talia talks to Jonny who is constructing something for The Brew.

In The Brew's kitchen, Talia steps up behind Emily and re-ties her apron after it's come undone. Emily thanks her, and as her hands linger on Emily's waist, Talia tells Emily not to mention it, before she walks away.

Talking with a fresh food delivery driver, Talia selects some fresh produce.

Talia is looking at Jonny’s invention when Emily walks up to her. Emily says that she thought Talia had left, and Talia tells her she was just looking at what Jonny had made. Questioning if Emily knows what it’s supposed to do, Talia listens as Emily explains that Jonny said it was about catching whispers. When Talia wonders how it works, Emily says that Jonny told her and she can show her. Saying yes, Talia takes a seat and doing as Emily says, Talia places her elbows on the disks, leans forward and covers her ears with her hands. As Emily walks over to the microphone, Talia listens as Emily explains that she says something from where she is and the sound travels through the bones in Talia’s arms and into her ears like she was right next to her, whispering. Going on, Emily says that she should have said something that night, but she didn’t, and she guesses she was surprised. Emily goes on to say that she’s been thinking of it ever since, about what Talia said, and it was like Talia was asking her to decide something right then and she couldn’t do that. Talia continues to listens as Emily mentions that Talia knows nothing about her, and she doesn’t know much about Talia, but one thing Emily does know is that Talia is good at what she does, really gifted. Emily says that she knows sometimes that makes things lonely, and she knows what that’s like, to be alone, to be lonely. As Emily walks back over to her, Talia listens as Emily comments that maybe she reads too much into situations, what people say, but Talia says she doesn’t think so, “I think you’re a very good judge of a situation”. Emily asks about the other night, and Talia explains that the other night took all the courage she had to say what she said. When Emily says that she doesn’t believe that, Talia mentions that a chef once told her to cook with the confidence of experience, “even if you don’t have much of either”. Getting up from the seat, Talia grabs her jacket and tells Emily that it’s late. As Talia is moving towards the door, Emily grabs her elbow and after the two share a look, Emily pulls Talia into a kiss. When they break from the kiss, Talia pulls Emily in for another.

Out, Damned Spot

Talia and Emily ride their bikes through Camp Koatohee. Talia comments that she hasn’t done this in years, to which Emily asks if she’s having fun, and Talia tells her that she is, “you were right”. Emily comments that riding downhill, standing on the pedals, is the closest thing you can get to flying. Saying “here”, Talia gets off her bike and tells Emily to “come on. It’s this way”. As the girls walk through the trees towards a lake, Emily questions here, and when Talia confirms, “here”, Emily queries that this is where Talia had her first kiss. Saying that it was with Marvin Biglioni, Talia explains that it was in the summer after 4th grade, “he looked like a frog. His cheeks were out to here”, before showing Emily what she means. Emily guesses that Talia was trying to turn him into a prince, and shrugging, Talia comments that a girl can dream. Talia tells Emily that they were standing right where they currently are, “and he leans in and right as we were about to seal the deal on my first kiss ever, he burps, and it’s wet”. As Emily says that that’s wrong, Talia mentions that all she could think was “do over”, she just wanted a do over, “it was awful”. Talia tells Emily that it’s her turn to tell her something, to which Emily says that she doesn’t think they can bike to where she had her first kiss. Talia asks Emily to reveal her biggest fear, but as Emily avoids answering, Talia says that it was a stupid question. Turning back, Emily tells her no, it’s not, it’s just…, and when Emily trails off, Talia questions if it’s too soon. Noting the look on Emily’s face, Talia says that she gets that, “I mean there are things I’m not ready to talk about either”. Emily then impulsively leans forward and kisses Talia, and when Talia asks what that was for, Emily tells her it was a do over.

In The Brew’s kitchen Talia is cooking, and when Emily walks in, Talia tells her to “come here”. Emily says she has another table to bus, and when Talia says she has to try what she’s cooking, Emily comments that she’s really not hungry. Walking towards Emily, Talia mentions that there’s always room for dessert, but as Talia tries to get Emily to try what’s on the spoon, Emily backs away and tells her that she’s good. Putting the spoon in the sink, Talia places a hand on Emily’s back and asks if she’s okay, “what’s wrong?” Turning to face Talia, Emily says that Talia is married, that’s what’s wrong. Listening as Emily says that she saw her last name, Mendoza, and it’s the same as her husbands, Talia tells Emily “yes”, when she’s asked if she was ever going to say anything. As Emily asks when, Talia just stands there, mouth agape. Emily comments that she doesn’t understand, and as Talia tries to at least begin to explain, “Emily”, Emily talks over her, saying that she doesn’t understand how Talia can stand there all this time and not tell her. Talia listens as Emily questions how Talia can kiss her, how Talia can tell her she likes her, but all the while not tell her any of this. Saying Emily’s name, Talia stops herself short when Ezra walks into the kitchen. As Emily storms out, Ezra wonders if everything is alright, and nodding her head, Talia turns towards the sink.

Outside the Fields’ residence, Talia sends Emily a text message asking if they can talk. When Emily sends a message back saying that it’s not a good time, Talia gets out of her car and asks Emily, who has just arrived home, “please”.

Sitting on the porch steps, Talia tells Emily that she and Eric started dated in 9th grade, and they were married right after high school, “we loved each other, but, we barely even knew ourselves”. Talia adds that they still love each other, “but it’s not romantic”, before saying that Eric knows she’s attracted to women, and he knows that she has to be true to herself. Emily wonders why Talia would stay with Eric, and Talia explains it’s because Eric is her best friend, “because he has been with me through everything”. Saying that she knows that it’s complicated, “no one wants complicated”, Talia listens as Emily comments that she’s starting to think that there’s no such thing as simple. Talia tells Emily that she shouldn’t have lied, “I just didn’t want to scare you away”, before adding that she knows how it all sounds when she says it out loud, “I’m sorry, Emily. I just wanted to tell you that in person”. As Talia goes to get up from the step, Emily asks if Talia remembers when she asked her what her biggest fear was, and when Talia nods, Emily tells her that there are things she’s not ready to share either, things that would scare Talia away. Talia says that she finds that hard to believe, and in response, Emily interlocks their fingers.

Pretty Isn't the Point

In The Brew, Talia is on the phone, “oh please, if my customers knew it was lard they’d shove me in the oven”. Hearing someone walk in, Talia looks over her shoulder and tells Emily that it’s her mom on the phone. Saying that she’ll “email it”, Talia ends the call. As Emily wonders if her mom wanted to talk with her, Talia tells her no, and that she just called about the left over cobbler that Emily took home last week. Noticing a look on Emily’s face, Talia questions if Emily thinks it’s nice that she and Pam have something in common besides Emily, and when Emily asks whether Pam knows about…, Talia cuts in, “us? Not from me”. Saying that they’re moving slowly, Talia mentions that she’s perfectly fine with “you and me staying just between you and me”. When Emily adds that Talia’s husband is also in on their situation, Talia nods, “that’s right”, before she leans in to kiss Emily, “did you just wake up this beautiful?” As Emily laughs, Talia walks off into the kitchen.

Outside Rosewood High, Talia calls out to Emily who asks what she’s doing here, and how she knew where she was. Talia says that Pam told her, “I got your message from earlier and you sounded weird”, before asking what happened at The Brew yesterday. As Emily looks away, Talia wonders if Ezra found out about them, to which Emily tells her no, she met Eric. Emily goes on to say that Talia told Eric that she was an experiment, a one-time thing, and when Talia says that she didn’t know where what they have was going, Emily tells her that it’s going nowhere, and she’s not into girls because it’s trendy. When Emily begins to walk off, Talia tells her she doesn’t think of her that way, to which Emily says that their relationship now has three people in it, and Talia’s been lying to every one of them. Listening as Emily says that she has to go, and that she has a friend who needs her right now, Talia watches Emily walk off.

Bloody Hell

In The Brew’s kitchen, Talia is just setting up when Emily walks in asking if she can speak with her. When Talia doesn’t say anything, Emily says that she knows Amanda was going to be helping her in the kitchen this week, but something has come up and Emily was hoping she’d be able to cover her shifts instead. Talia says that she doesn’t think that will be possible, to which Emily questions her, before wondering whether this is how it’s going to be. As Emily says that she didn’t say what she said to hurt her, Talia tells her that it’s not about that, “today’s my last day. I already told Ezra I quit”.

Getting out of her car, Talia tells Emily that she’s just here to pick up her last check when they come face-to-face outside The Brew. Noticing Talia’s car is packed, Emily asks whether she’s going on a trip, and looking over her shoulder, Talia tells her “not exactly”. Talia explains that after what Emily said, she had a talk with Eric, “a real talk”, and she was pretty open with him, “and… it didn’t go so well”. When Talia says that she and Eric are separating, Emily hopes that she didn’t force her to have a conversation she wasn’t ready to have, to which Talia says that it was going to happen “sooner or later”. Listening as Emily asks what she’s going to do, Talia says that she’s booked a hotel over by another catering gig, so as long as there’s hot water and clean sheets, she’ll stay there for a while, “but after that… I don’t know”. Emily tells Talia that if she needs a place to stay for the next couple of days she can crash at her house, and when Talia questions if Emily’s mom will be okay with that, Emily mentions that her mom is away. Saying thank you, “that would be great”, Talia heads off in the direction of The Brew.

At Rosewood High, Talia watches Emily practice a dance routine through the glass window in the door. When Emily notices her, Talia walks in, telling Emily that she’s really good. Saying that she just came by to drop off Emily’s key, Talia adds that she guesses Emily didn’t get her text, to which Emily tells her no, she was rehearsing for this pageant thing. Talia notes that Emily doesn’t sound thrilled, “why do it?”, and Emily explains that she’s doing it for a friend to help her win money. Sitting down next to Emily, Talia says that she doesn’t buy Emily’s reasoning, and when Emily questions her, Talia again says that she doesn’t buy it, “the way you just danced, nobody works that hard for just the money”. Emily comments that to get the money she has to win the pageant, and it’s not as though she can half-ass it, to which Talia tells her okay. Emily says that it’s for Hanna, and when Talia tells her that it was a compliment, Emily reasons that maybe it’s for her too. Saying that she never really saw Emily as the beauty pageant type, Talia listens as Emily says that she’s not, but that’s part of it. Emily adds that she keeps thinking that if she works hard and wins, she’ll know she has it in her to take control of her life. As Emily says that it must sound pretty stupid, Talia tells her, “not at all”. As a silence falls between them, Emily turns the music back on, and reaching out to Talia, Emily tells her to come on. Talia asks what Emily is doing, to which Emily says that she’s going to dance with her.

Talia follows Emily’s steps as Emily takes Talia through her dance routine. When Talia says that she can’t do it, Emily assures her she can, and for Talia to mirror her. As Talia loses her footing and falls down backwards, she can Emily laugh, before Talia breaks down in tears. Emily takes Talia’s hands, and getting Talia up on her feet, Emily slow dances with her to calm her down.

Sitting down on the seat in the dance room, Talia watches as Claire, the beauty pageant coordinator, approaches Emily. Talia listens as Claire asks if Emily read the entire application when she filled it out, and when Emily says that she did, Claire explains that the application form explicitly mentions that all contestants must be of good moral character. Emily comments that she’s not following, to which Claire says that Emily should have at least mentioned it to her, and that she would have known it would have made the board apprehensive. Emily asks if Claire is forcing her to drop out, but Claire says that they can’t force her to do anything, they can only encourage. Emily then questions that Claire doesn’t want her in the competition because of who she dates, and standing up, Talia asks if Claire is serious, to which Claire says that this is about Emily’s close connection to the Alison DiLaurentis case.

Walking out of Rosewood High, Talia tells Emily that she really did have fun, “thank you for everything”, to which Emily says of course. Noticing Claire talking with two girls, Talia starts to head towards her, and when Emily asks what she’s doing, Talia tells her to just trust her, “I followed your lead, now you follow mine”. Calling out to Claire, “Ms Handleman”, Talia listens as says that she really has to get going. As Claire opens her car door, Talia says that Emily just wanted her to know that she understands the board’s decision, to which Claire mentions that she’s sorry it had to come down to this. Talia goes on to say that they’re just concerned that if anyone found out that the board wanted Emily to drop out because of a friendship she has, and when Claire mentions that the friend is on trial for murder, Talia mentions that in this country you’re innocent until proven guilty, “unless the pageant judges know better the ones on the supreme court”. Claire questions whether Talia is threatening her, to which Talia says that she’s “encouraging” her. Saying that perhaps the pageant sponsors could make a donation to Emily’s education, Talia watches as Claire gets in her car and drives off. Listening as Emily questions if she seriously just asked Claire to send her a check, Talia just shrugs when Emily adds that they’re not going to do that, “you never know”.

Appearances (7/120)
Season 5 (7/25)
 * Fresh Meat
 * Over a Barrel
 * The Bin of Sin
 * Oh, What Hard Luck Stories They All Hand Me
 * Out, Damned Spot
 * Pretty Isn't the Point
 * Bloody Hell

Relationships
Emily Fields: Kissed. (see "Emalia")

First Kiss:
 * Started: "Oh, What Hard Luck Stories They All Hand Me"
 * Reason: As Talia walks away, Emily grabs her elbow and after the two share a look, Emily pulls Talia into a kiss. When they break from the kiss, Talia pulls Emily in for another.

Second Kiss:
 * Started: "Out, Damned Spot"
 * Reason: Standing in the the exact place Talia would have had her first kiss, Emily kisses her, telling her that their kiss is a do over.

First Relationship:
 * Started: Between "Out, Damned Spot" and "Pretty Isn't the Point"
 * Reason: Talia tells Emily the truth about her husband, and they agree to take things slow.
 * Ended: "Pretty Isn't the Point"
 * Reason: Emily finds out that Talia told her husband that she was an experiment. Saying that she's not into girls because it's trendy, Emily ended their relationship before it had a chance to get started.