Last Dance

“	Don't look for a wolf; seeing red is enough. Time is slipping away...	”
	— Charles' text message as A to Alison at senior prom

Last Dance

Season: 6

Episode: 9

Information

Airdate

August 4, 2015

Written by

Oliver Goldstick & Francesca Rollins

Directed by

Janice Cooke

Episode Guide
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FrAmed	Game Over, Charles

Last Dance is the ninth episode of Season 6 of Pretty Little Liars. It aired on August 4th, 2015.

Synopsis[]

In the Hastings' residence, Veronica is telling Spencer that she's sure the school board took her feelings into consideration. In the Fields' household, Pam tells Emily that her attendance might endanger the other students, and given what happened at the gallery, she doesn't disagree. In the Marins' kitchen, Hanna exclaims the school can't punish the girls, but Ashley tells her it's not a punishment. Hanna sarcastically asks what she would call it then. Then, it's revealed that the girls are banned from attending the Rosewood High senior prom.

In the Montgomery household, Ella tells Aria that it's really a blessing, because if Charles was bold enough to make a move like he did at the gallery, he will have no trouble crashing a prom. Aria suggests they fill the room with police, but Ella tells her Veronica has decided to hold a prom at the Hastings' barn. As the parents tell the girls about the prom in the barn, they annoyedly state it's not a banquet hall. Ashley tells Hanna she doesn't have a choice. The girls then find out they have also been banned from graduation, meaning they'll receive their diplomas in the mail rather than walking across a stage to receive them.

The Liars (minus Mona) are in The Brew discussing the fact they won't be attending prom. Aria, trying to be positive, says it could be worse. The girls fall silent, and Hanna finally asks how. The Liars are quiet, waiting for a response, then Aria defensively replies that she's thinking. They continue to discuss the situation. Emily, noticing Ali's silence, asks if she's okay and she says she is. Alison asks, "Even if we did go to the real prom, who would we hang out with besides each other?" The girls see her point. Aria says Charles has a thing for proms, and they already went to one psycho prom. Spencer gives her a look. Emily, changing the subject, asks if Aria has talked to Clark. Aria says she hasn't, but she left him five messages. Spencer asks if she mentioned who they saw him meet up with, and Aria says he hasn't given her a name. Hanna asks, "What about Charles?", causing Spencer to sarcastically reply, "He goes by Rhys." Meanwhile, Lorenzo walks into The Brew and doesn't say a word to the girls. Emily glances at Ali saying he will forgive her. Alison excuses herself to use the restroom, but receives a text from Charles: "Better be at prom. It's our last chance to dance. Come alone. xo Charles."

Aria is on the phone leaving another message for Clark saying she needs to talk to him, as Ezra walks over. He asks, "Shouldn't the police be leaving these messages and not you?" Aria stays silent. He tells her, "If you and your friends think he's connected to Charles-" Aria interrupts him saying she thought a lot of her friends were "connected." Aria brings up Andrew and says he can barely say her name without spitting. Ella then comes into The Brew and reveals to Aria that the judges finally saw her real artwork that was meant to be in the gallery, and she won first prize! Meaning there's a cash prize and an internship waiting for her in Los Angeles. Aria asks, "What if the police haven't caught him yet?" Ella tells her that they have to believe that the police are closer than they think. Aria tells her mom that she and her friends can't move on until this is over. Ella goes to get Aria a sandwich. Ezra asks if she'd feel better if he was at prom; she smiles.

Hanna is waiting outside as Caleb walks over. She asks, "Why New York?" Caleb tells her his dad had some work there and thought it would be cool if they could spend a few days together. Hanna asks if he could come home a little earlier to be at prom, to which he says they're all missing prom, and that they would just be watching Molly Ringwald movies in Spencer's barn - which they can do any day, leaving Hanna to pretend she's not bothered. Hanna looks in his bag and finds an industrial strength laptop. When she asks Caleb about it, he says his dad is slowly becoming a techno-geek and then asks her what she wants from New York.

Emily and Sara are outside Emily's house, where the latter wants to get her another helmet. When Emily refuses, Sara says she wants to do something, and so Emily immediately asks her to prom. Emily quickly apologizes, saying that's not how she wanted to ask her, but she did want to ask her. Sara says that her old school is having their prom the same night, and she told Claire she'd go with her. Emily interrupts saying Sara shouldn't have to choose, and they can do something special another time.

Toby pulls into the parking lot at the Rosewood Police Department and Spencer runs over to him. It's revealed that he got suspended for getting stoned while on the job. Lorenzo comes out of the building and tells Toby that he got suspended from the force indefinitely. Spencer wants to say something to overturn their decision, but Lorenzo tells her they're not interested in what she has to say and walks away. Toby walks into the Police Department, but not before telling Spencer that he'll call her later.

Back in Hanna's kitchen, Emily asks Hanna why she doesn't talk to Caleb directly before calling his dad. Hanna says he's not answering his phone and leaves to make the call once Ashley walks in. Emily asks what Ashley is holding and it's a necklace from her grandmother; she thought Hanna might want to wear it to prom. After a brief discussion about the barn prom, Ashley asks why Caleb isn't coming. Emily tells her he's in New York. Ashley tells her they've been robbed of so much, and they should enjoy their prom as it is, and feel beautiful because senior prom comes once in a lifetime. Hanna comes back into the kitchen, annoyed, and finds out that Caleb didn't go to New York - she assumes he's hunting down 'A' himself. She calls him again saying, "Answer your phone."

In the DiLaurentis house, Alison answers a call from a blocked ID. After some silence, she says, "Charles? Is that you?", then says she can't go to the school prom. Ali then says, "Please. Charles, talk to me!" Then, the call is disconnected. Ali hears a noise outside and we see a hooded figure move past her window. Ali walks over to her window, but the hooded figure is gone.

Back in The Brew, Spencer is meeting up with Lorenzo, who asks why she needed to meet with him. She asks how his arm is, and he says she didn't call to meet with him for a medical update. She admits she wants to talk about Alison, and goes on to says Ali didn't think her plan through when she stole Lorenzo's police tag, but Lorenzo isn't convinced. He says that ever since he got to Rosewood, all he heard about her was that she was a master planner. He says he gave Ali many chances, and look where that got them. Spencer tells Lorenzo that she knows how he feels because she was used and abused by Alison for years, but she has changed. She also tells him that Ali is desperate after being through so much, and that she needs him. Lorenzo says he can't forgive her yet. Spencer tells him there will be a prom in her barn that night, and he can surprise her, and maybe even surprise himself.

Back in the Hastings' kitchen, the Liars' moms are having a girls' night with wine and seafood. Pam walks in with food and Ella asks if the two police officers had any information, causing Pam to tell her they weren't high ranking cops, so they wouldn't know. Veronica asks if they would like some cabernet, to which they all decline, so Veronica declares, "I'm not driving!" before pouring herself a glass. Once the other moms see the bottle open, they each relent and take a glass.

We see Alison walking towards the barn in her prom dress; she turns around and waves to her friends' moms as a figure in a red coat and a mask looks on from behind some bushes. Once their backs are turned, Ali runs into the bushes and the figure follows her. Shortly after, we see Ezra taking pictures of the four Liars and Hanna asks Toby if he can call someone from the station; he tells her that when he turned in his badge, he practically got frostbite so he can't ask for any favors. Hanna thinks Toby knows about Caleb's plan; he claims he doesn't, but Hanna demands he look at her when he says that, and so he does.

The girls' moms are standing outside, clearly having drunk a lot of Cabernet, and are not too sober. They're wondering how Jessica and Kenneth could keep Charles a secret for so long. Veronica mentions that lying is like oxygen to that family, then she adds that Jason didn't even know he wasn't Kenneth's child. The girls are still taking pictures, and Ezra's phone chirps, signaling a text. Aria discovers a text from Worldwide Airlines confirming his flight to Los Angeles. Emily walks over and tells Aria that Noel Kahn brought Bridget Wu to prom. Meanwhile, Ali is at the Rosewood High prom, where she stands on a bridge looking out at the dancers. She is clearly looking for Charles. She sees someone on the floor wearing a red coat. Clark is the photographer for the prom.

The girls are looking at their phones commenting on people's outfits. We find out that Lucas and Jenna are attending the prom together. The girls are swiping through people's photos and stop once they spot Alison in the background. Toby asks why she would go to the Rosewood High prom to which Spencer asserts, "she's hoping to meet Charles." In the meantime, the girls' moms are still outside drinking when Ashley apologizes saying they shouldn't have made Veronica tell that story about Peter and Jessica's affair. Veronica replies that it was easier telling it than living it. She then says she can't even be outside without thinking of Jessica. She points to a spot in the backyard saying, "That's where the dog dug her up," referring to when Pepe, Alison's new dog, found Jessica's body in Whirly Girlie. Pam says she had forgotten; Veronica says that she can't forget. Ashley then suggests they check on their host.

Back at the Rosewood Prom, the girls decide to show up with Toby and Ezra to keep Ali safe. Aria finds Clark, who asks what she's doing there. She smartly replies, "It's my prom, what are you doing here?" since Clark is in college. She finds out was hired to be the prom photographer. Aria asks who hired him, and he says that someone on the prom committee saw his pictures. Aria then tells him that her friends saw him at the old doll factory and asks why he was there and who he was meeting. Before Clark can answer, a chaperon comes over and chides him, saying he should be photographing the ice sculpture before it melts, not Aria. She turns to Aria and meanly suggests that Aria and her friends leave voluntarily. The girls eventually spot Alison in the crowd and try making their way over to her, but she leaves before they can reach her.

Back in the Hastings' kitchen, the moms continue to get more drunk. One of the moms suggest that Veronica eat something. Veronica ignores her, and instead plunges into a rant: It wasn't bad enough that, that "bitch" (Jessica DiLaurentis) tried to steal my husband, but then her "sicko son" had to bury her in our backyard, and adds that he's tried to frame her entire family. Pam remarks, "Maybe it wasn't Charles," and that maybe someone else buried Jessica. When Veronica asks who, Pam responds: "Her husband." They discuss the possibility of Kenneth killing Jessica.

The girls finally catch up to Alison and ask why she didn't come to the barn. Alison blames the girls for scaring him away at the arcade and believe they'll do the same this time; she begs them to let her leave and insists that she knows what she's doing before walking away. Ezra, Toby and The Liars follow her, but Emily stays behind as she sees Sara. Sara says she didn't want the night to pass without one great dance with Emily.

In the DiLaurentis house, the drunken moms are looking for Kenneth. Veronica is calling out for Kenneth. Pam questions why the door was open. Ashley believes that maybe he stepped out for a minute, as his car is still there. Pam spots an evidence envelope on the table; it contains a picture of Jessica, Jason and Charles. Rhys Matthews spontaneously enters the house, scaring the moms. Back at Prom, Alison is looking for Charles and Spencer tells her to leave while she can. Ali says that Spencer never understood her or liked her and that Charles is her brother, not Spencer's; she's not going to leave until she finds out why her brother hates her so much. Hanna is looking out at the dance floor when someone places their hands on her shoulders - it's Caleb! He asks why she's there, since she's not supposed to be, and she deflects the question saying he said he would be in New York, but wasn't. He says he was, and he'll tell her everything if she dances with him.

Rhys asks if Kenneth is there or not, and Veronica says they're not sure, causing Rhys to ask if any of them are part of the DiLaurentis family; Ella asks "are you?" and Ashley says that they're neighbors. Veronica quickly hushes them and says, "I'm his neighbor. Who are you?!" Rhys had some questions for Kenneth, regarding the Carissimi Group, but says he'll come back at a better time and leaves. Ella says she thinks they just met Charles. At Prom, Aria and Ezra are dancing together discussing Clark while Spencer and Toby are discussing Alison. Spencer says they came to the prom to protect her, something they've been trying to do for years. Emily and Sara are slow dancing; Emily thanks her for coming. Sara tells her "Whatever happens, you mean a lot to me." Aria tells Ezra that she doesn't want him to go with her to L.A., but he tells her the flight is just a connecting flight to Thailand, and that he's joining the Habitat Group. Aria tells him that he needs to move on; he agrees that change would be good for both of them. Spencer tells Toby that her speech was about supporting someone unconditionally, even when they haven't been completely honest, and that she wrote it about him; they kiss after. While her friends are distracted, Alison decides to meet with Charles.

Back in the DiLaurentis house, the moms are discussing Charles and hear a noise from the basement. They figure that Kenneth must be downstairs, so they walk downstairs to talk to him, but the door slams shut behind them. They quickly realize they got locked in the basement and believe it was Charles who locked it.

At the prom, Alison spots a person wearing a red hood and follows them. Meanwhile, on the dance floor, Hanna reminds Caleb that he would talk after one dance. He explains he was looking for a job, and when she argues that he already has one, he says that it's not one that can afford a move to New York. She asks who's moving there. He says, "We are... if that's still your dream." He says that, with his job, they'll be able to pay for Hanna's tuition and a house bigger than that girl's hair, who is dancing near them. When Hanna asks if it has anything to do with 'A,' he says, "just getting away from him." She smiles and they share a kiss.

Back in the DiLaurentis' basement, the moms are trying to find a way out. A light crashes to the floor, and the moms scream. The room becomes dark. Back at prom, Alison receives a text from Charles telling her that time is almost up and she needs to use her eyes. She immediately sees someone in a black hoodie wearing a red cape and follows him. The girls, Ezra, Toby, Caleb and Clark, spot Alison walking away, and Clark takes out a gun he's hiding in his jacket before following her. The girls follow him and try to stop Clark, believing him to be connected with Charles. After a brief misunderstanding, it's revealed that Clark is an undercover cop. He follows Alison, as do the rest of the girls, but Emily says "you really had no idea?" to Aria.

Alison finds herself in a maze, and after some navigating, receives a text saying, "Now it's just the two of us..." Alison tries to find him, but a figure from behind covers her mouth and she tries to scream. The girls are trying to find Alison while Lorenzo shows up looking For Ali; Spencer thanks him for coming. Back in the basement, the moms are trying to escape. Ashley says she thinks something is rotting in there and asks not to have to do that again. At prom, Emily and Spencer find Alison's phone near a cracked mirror.

Alison is running into a corridor screaming, "Where are you taking me? Where are we going?" with Charles behind her. She turns around and says, "Please. Charles, talk to me." Charles responds by removeing his mask, revealing his Charles' unseen face to Alison. In disbelief, Alison says, "Oh my God!"

Notes[]

Toby and Lorenzo are revealed to be suspended indefinitely.
Aria won first prize and got an internship in L.A, as well as a cash prize.
Ezra is joining the Habitat Group in Thailand with Nicole Gordon .
The mothers suspect Rhys of being Charles .
Caleb reveals to Hanna that he got a job in New York that pays enough for them to move there, buy a house, and pay for Hanna's tuition.
For the Fairy Tale themed prom, Aria's inspiration was Snow White, Emily's was the Evil Queen from Snow White, Hanna's was Rapunzel, Mona's was Little Red Riding Hood and Spencer's was The Little Mermaid. Alison's inspiration has yet to be confirmed, but possibly Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Source Source 2
The mom's going into the basement is a reference to the girls going down the passageway in Grave New World.
While they didn't appear characters like Jessica DiLaurentis, Bridget Wu, Noel Kahn, Lucas Gottesman and Jenna Marshall are mentioned and it's revealed that Noel and Bridget went together as did Lucas and Jenna, respectively.
Veronica , Ella , Ashley and Pam get locked in the DiLaurentis basement.
Clark is revealed to be an undercover cop.
A's identity is revealed to Alison at the end of the episode.

Title and Background[]

The title of the episode could be a reference to this being the last dance that the Liars will have in high school before graduation.
The title also refers to Charles' text sent to Alison, saying that it is her last dance.

Main Cast[]

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

Supporting Cast[]

Trivia[]

The table read was on May 29, 2015.
Filming began June 1, 2015 and wrapped on June 9, 2015.
On July 8th 2015 Marlene addressed the rumor of leaked spoilers for the rest of the season as false.Source
The episode was watched live by 2.03 million viewers.

Quotes[]

Veronica [about DiLaurentis Family]: Oh, please, you can’t compare yourself to that family. Lying is like oxygen to them.

Aria [to her mother, about the prom]: Well, then fill the ballroom with police. It’s fairy-tale themed. They could come as the village idiots.

Veronica [about Jessica DiLaurentis]: It wasn’t bad enough that this bitch tried to steal my husband, but her sicko son had to bury her in our backyard.

Charles [message to Alison]: Better be at prom. It’s our last chance to dance. Come alone.

Ella: What was that? Was that thunder or music?
Ashley: That was probably Hanna parking.

Spencer: And what? Take our prom picture on top of a washer-dryer?

Featured Music[]

Morning Joy by Sugar & The Hi Lows - Ali grabs punch; Aria & Ezra slow dance while keeping an eye on Alison & Clark; Toby & Spencer talk about her graduation speech; Sara & Emily dance; Ezra tells Aria he's going to Thailand.

Terrible Thing by AG - The Girls are at the Brew talking about what Spencer's Mom said; Lorenzo walks in.

Pretty by AG - The girls take 'prom' pictures; Hanna questions Toby about his knowledge of what Caleb is up to; the girls' moms discuss how screwed up DiLaurentis family is; Aria asks Emily about Alison's absence.

Burning Like Fire by Claire Guerreso - As they drink wine, Veronica tells Ella, Ashley & Pam about her bad relations she and her family have had with the DiLaurentis family.

Lost by RICTOR - Red Coat leaves the prom; Hana & Caleb dance together when she calls their dancing to a halt.

The Fold by Ivan & Alyosha - Spencer waits for Lorenzo to meet her at The Brew when he arrives she tries to convince him to forgive Alison and give her another chance then invites him to their barn prom.

Disturbia by Rihanna - Clark takes pictures at the school prom and sees Alison arrive; Alison spots Red Coat.

Midnight Movies by Saint Motel - The girls, Toby & Ezra checks out instragram stream of pictures from the school prom and gossip about the photos when they notice Alison in the background of one of them.

My Type by Saint Motel - The girls arrive at the prom with Toby & Ezra; Red Coat walks through the crowd; Aria asks Clark why he's at the prom taking photos.

Holy Dove by Civil Twilight - Aria confronts Clark about being at the old doll factory, then a teacher asks her leave peacefully; Ali receives a text from Charles; the girls spot Ali then miss catching up with her.

Funn by Cash+David - Alison rushes to the maze to look for Charles at the prom when Spencer confronts her to try to stop her from looking for her, she tells Spencer she needs answers from her and leaves.

Nothing Without Love by Nate Ruess - Hanna stops dancing with Caleb and orders him to tell her what he was doing in New York, he then confess that he was their for get a job and asks her to move to New York with him.
Calling Me by Aquilo - Caleb surprises Hanna at prom, they both question each others presence at the prom then question about why he was in New York but asks her dance first before he explains why was there.

Hunted by Ag Silver - The girls find Allison's phone in debris of the prom maze; Alison pleads with Charles to talk to her instead of speaking to her he reaches up and removes his hood, showing face to her.