UnmAsked

UnmAsked is the 25th episode of Season 2 of Pretty Little Liars. This episode marks the Season 2 Finale. It aired on March 19, 2012.

Synopsis
The local news station reports the arrest of Garrett Reynolds for the murder of Alison DiLaurentis. He became a cop in order to destroy evidence, page 5 the girls surmise. Melissa appears and tell the girls she always knew Ian didn't kill Alison, and never believed they did either, though she knows about "The Jenna Thing." If Garrett killed Alison, then he must have had a good reason. She helps herself to Aria's frozen yogurt and leaves the girls feeling more suspicious of her then ever.



They all receive a text from "A" instructing them to return the cell phone as a messenger delievers invitations to a masquerade ball along with a message from "A" that demands their attendance. Spencer is sure they can discover who "A" is before the midnight deadline because hide and seek is her favorite game.

They comb through the contents of Alison’s bag once more and find a clue, which leads them to the Lost Woods Resort. They drive out and rent Room #1, matching the number on the postcard they found in Ali’s things.

Once the innkeeper leaves, they steal the guest book and discover Alison had checked in twice as Vivian Darkbloom. Meanwhile, Emily gets a call from Maya, but when she tries to answer, she can’t get any reception, so she goes out of the room, leaving Hanna, who was taking a shower because she fell in the mud earlier, alone. "A" is taking advantage of this, enters the room and gets very close to Hanna, but by the time she gets out of the shower, "A" was gone, and the door of the room was left wide open.

The next day, on her drive home from the resort Spencer sees Toby, who was hired by Jason to clear away debris at the DiLaurentis house after the fire. She tries to talk to him about Jenna, but Toby refuses to acknowledge her. Just after Spencer leaves, Toby receives a call from Dr. Sullivan.

Jenna has a mysterious secret meeting with someone at a park, she tells him/her she'd always thought about what she would say if she ever saw this person again. Jenna gives something to the stranger, and says, "They're all going to be at the party; you know what you need to do."

Later, The girls arrive at the masquerade together, where Caleb and Ezra surprise Hanna and Aria.

Spencer and Mona talk about the last time Mona saw Ali alive in Brookhaven. Mona tells Spencer how she saw Alison in a shop, wearing a red coat and with dark hair spying on someone; Mona tells Alison that in exchange for keeping Ali's secret she wants to be popular, Alison then takes out a postcard and writes a phone number on it, which she tears off and hands to Mona.

Something Mona says makes Spencer realize that the key to room #2 at the Lost Woods Resort was missing. Spencer and Mona leave the masquerade together to drive back to the motel. They sneak into room #2, which is plastered with pictures, news clippings and belongings of Alison’s, including her diary; it’s "A's" lair.

While at "A's" lair, Spencer begins to notice the pieces of the puzzle falling into place. Mona offers Spencer a piece of gum. She declines, then notices that there is a gum wrapper inside of Ali's stolen diary. When Mona momentarily leaves the room, Spencer finds more clues pointing to "A" being Mona, including a bag of cashmere sweaters. And when the latter returns, she’s wearing "A's" black hoodie and knocks Spencer unconscious with a flashlight.

Spencer wakes up in the car with Mona driving recklessly. Aria calls Spencer, who answers the call covertly so that her friends can hear her conversation with Mona. The girls figure out that Mona is in fact "A", this leaves Hanna in a state of disbelief that her so-called friend is "A". They also realize that Mona is driving to Lookout Point, and they race to get there first. Back in Mona’s car, Spencer pulls the emergency break, causing the car to skid to a stop long enough to escape. Mona jumps out of the car after her just as the other girls drive up, and Hanna careens towards Mona but at the girls screams, slams on the brakes just before she strikes her down. Mona screams, runs and tackles Spencer and tries to push her off Lookout Point, but she slips and falls off the edge herself.

Shortly after, the authorities and an ambulance arrive, surprisingly, along with Dr. Sullivan, and they discover Mona survived the fall. Dr. Sullivan comforts the girls, who are all clearly shaken by what has happened. Dr. Sullivan reveals that "A" blackmailed her by threatening her son, which is why she disappeared, and that it was Toby who convinced her to come back. Toby tells Spencer he had to pretend not to love her, and the couple makes up with a passionate kiss.

Later, the girls head to Emily's house to spend the night when an ambulance rushes past them. The police are waiting, and Emily runs up to her mom, who tells her that the police found a body… and they think it is Maya's. Emily is distraught. She falls into Spencer's arms and screams/sobs at the sight of the stretcher taking the body away while the girls try to comfort her.

Meanwhile, Mona is hospitalized -- and at the end of the episode, someone wearing a red coat visits Mona in her cell. Mona tells the visitor, "I did everything you asked me to."

Continuity

 * Spencer finds a bag of cashmere sweaters inside "A's" lair, which evokes the memory of Mona offering Spencer some of the cashmere sweaters she bought in her shopping frenzie after being dumped by Noel in "Let the Water Hold Me Down."
 * The last few seconds of the episode parallel the scene in the "Pilot" when Alison's body is discovered, down to the song playing in the background.
 * Hanna almost hits "A" with her car--again. She stops short as "A" stands momentarily frozen in the headlights, whereas in "Through Many Dangers, Toils, and Snares," Hanna actually hit "A."
 * Many of the elements that we have seen "A" playing with before are now contextualized in "A's" lair, including the many glossy photographs of the group, as well as dolls, a clown mask, the clown bank, the burlap Halloween costume, blonde wigs, the voodoo doll, and a Danby mug.
 * Shopping bag with cashmere sweaters that Mona bought in "Let the Water Hold Me Down."
 * A wrapping of the same exact gum that Mona offered Spencer a few seconds earlier stuck in Ali's diary.
 * We see Ali writing in her diary in "The First Secret" and are able to read some of the entries when Spencer flips through it.

Goofs

 * Mona is found criminally insane after Dr. Sullivan diagnoses her with a personality disorder. Generally, people with personality disorders don't qualify as criminally insane under the legal definition, since they still know the difference between right and wrong.

Title

 * The definition of 'Unmasked' could mean:
 * (verb with object)
 * stripped a mask or disguise from.
 * Revealed the true character of; disclosed; exposed.
 * (verb without object)
 * with one's mask put off; appeared in true nature.


 * In this episode, the Liars unmasked "A's" true identity. In addition, before admitting her identity to Spencer, Mona unmasked herself from her masquerade costume. The effect of the title is augmented thanks to the capital 'A' in the centre of the word.

Main Cast
Troian Bellisario as Spencer Hastings

Ashley Benson as Hanna Marin

Lucy Hale as Aria Montgomery

Shay Mitchell as Emily Fields

Sasha Pieterse as Alison DiLaurentis

Supporting Cast
Lindsey Shaw as Paige McCullers

Tyler Blackburn as Caleb Rivers

Torrey DeVitto as Melissa Hastings

Ian Harding as Ezra Fitz

Janel Parrish as Mona Vanderwaal

Tammin Sursok as Jenna Marshall

Keegan Allen as Toby Cavanaugh

Annabeth Gish as Anne Sullivan

Nia Peeples as Pam Fields

Brendan Robinson as Lucas Gottesman

Featured Music

 * "Better In Time" by Leona Lewis (at the masquerade ball)
 * "Always" by Peter Bradley Adams (Aria meets Ezra)
 * "Just a Kiss" by Lady Antebellum (Ezria dance)
 * "Suggestions" by Orelia Has Orchestra (Maya's body is discovered)*