Please, Do Talk About Me When I'm Gone

Season: 1

Episode: 8

Information

Airdate

July 27, 2010

Written by

Joseph Dougherty

Directed by

Arlene Sanford

Episode Guide
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“	DO IT RIGHT. I'LL BE WATCHING. JUST LIKE TOM SAWYER.	”
	— A

Please, Do Talk About Me When I'm Gone is the eighth episode in Season 1 of Pretty Little Liars. It aired on July 27th, 2010, and is the eighth episode overall.

Synopsis[]

Aria, Spencer, Emily, and Hanna begin to prepare for Alison's memorial. The memorial sparks memories of a summer day that the girls had spent lounging by the shore of the lake. Ironically, the girls had spoken about immortality and the fantasy of living in this moment forever. Alison had said that one could attain that only by dying young and leaving behind a beautiful corpse. Getting into it, Alison had romanticized how fabulous it would be to die mysteriously, "It's immortality, my darlings".

At home, the Marins' financial woes grow deeper, evidenced by one of Hanna's credit cards being declined. Ashley lets Hanna know that adjustments need to be made until their situation improves. Ashley tells Hanna she is struggling to maintain their lifestyle now that she is the sole breadwinner of the family. Hanna steps up and decides to help out in a rather unorthodox and un-Hanna way: she agrees to put up a lot of her old clothes and handbags for auction online, at the suggestion of her new ally, Lucas.

Back in real time, they must contend with Alison’s older brother Jason arriving in Rosewood a changed man – the formerly gawky and Gothic outsider is now as polished as a preppy politician, and he’s got plenty of plans for the memorial of his own sister. Jason surprises the girls with news that Jenna has asked to speak at Alison’s memorial, and he’s agreed to let her, much to their chagrin.

At school, Aria flashes back to her last conversation with Ezra before he disappeared and tears down an outdated Homecoming poster. Meanwhile, Hanna and Sean have made up, though Sean is still wary of her hanging out with Lucas, even if it is for the yearbook. Hanna lets Aria know that Sean's friend, Noel, wants to ask her out and tries to convince her to double date after school. Things progress with Maya and Emily as well, as Emily musters the courage to ask Maya out on a date for dinner and a movie. More good news for Emily is that her father's unit in Afghanistan is returning to the United States, meaning that Wayne is coming home.

In her room, Spencer looks at Alison's name bracelet for inspiration in writing her speech for Alison's memorial. She flashes back to who else was at the beach that day. Jenna had come to start a barbecue, wearing her now familiar shades, then taking them off. Alison expressed her annoyance, and Emily commented on Toby's conspicuous absence. When Alison responded by mocking him in conversation, Spencer rolled her eyes and pointed out how typical it was of Alison to taunt others. But, she softened when the girls all agreed that this day was perfect and then shared their dream that they would be friends until they grew old. Back in real time, Spencer receives a text from "A". "SUBJECT: THE DEDICATION DO IT RIGHT. I'LL BE WATCHING. JUST LIKE TOM SAWYER. --A "Threatening her to do the memorial right.

Hanna tries to convince Aria to go on the double date with her, Sean, and Noel, reminding the crush Aria had on Noel in middle school. Aria recalls how deeply she used to crush on Noel, and she accepts Hanna's date offer. She flashes back to that same summer day and remembers how the girls had spotted Noel with a girl named "Prudence." Alison had torn into her too, suggesting that she was anything but chaste with Noel, and provocatively suggested that she had gotten a boob job. Aria had ogled at Noel applying sunblock to her enviously. As if reading her mind, Alison asked if she would "also" do something like that to get Noel's attention. She then teased Aria for falling for brainy guys. She also called Noel immature and simultaneously perfect for Aria, flustering her. Ali said she preferred more mature guys.

Meanwhile, Officer Wilden returns, visiting Hanna while she works on the yearbook. He tries to intimidate her into revealing Toby's whereabouts, which he suspects she might know, being Emily's friend. The possibility is far-fetched, and it is revealed that Officer Wilden is desperate to make progress in Alison's murder investigation. Jason's return has put extra pressure on the Rosewood Police Force to solve this case finally. Hanna coolly responds to his harassment, threatening to mention to Jason how Officer Wilden used to parade around her house in a towel.

In the library, Spencer corners Jenna to try to feel out what Jenna is thinking about volunteering to give a speech for Alison's upcoming memorial. Jenna is snide towards her, preying on her fears of having "The Jenna Thing" made public. The conversation shifts from civil to menacing, and Spencer warns Jenna not to make a debacle out of the solemn ceremony for her beloved friend. At this, Jenna lets Spencer know that while she may have loved Alison, Alison had been with Spencer at the time of her death; mysteriously, she had told Jenna so in the hospital during the summer that she disappeared.

While Lucas is helping Hanna, she remembers who else Alison had picked on that summer day. When Lucas had run in front of them to pick up his toy motor boat, she had incessantly made offensive comments to him. Finally, Hanna had exclaimed "hey" as if to stand up to Alison and stop her from teasing him, but she recoiled and sat silent. Alison then turned on her, warning her never to let a moment pass, as Lucas trudged away.

Later, Byron visits Ashley at home to give her money. At first, Ashley balks at the thought of Hanna discussing their financial matters with Aria, but relaxes when she realizes that it is only for the memorial. Ashley then commiserates with Byron on his marital woes, bonding over their comparable experiences.

PLL108-00728 — Wilden going through lockers

Back at school, Spencer and Emily talk to Jason about Alison and the memorial. They discuss their different relationships with Alison, all of which are equally important to consider during the memorial. Jason looks at the situation mainly from his own perspective and sees the girls as his sister's close club of friends with secrets. Detective Wilden and some other police officers rummage through Toby's locker. Clearly, they have received a search warrant. Jason walks over to frazzle Detective Wilden and accuse him of having zero leads in the murder investigation. Desperate to defend himself, Darren reveals that Toby had called Alison the night she disappeared. Jason tries to appear impassive, but the girls are stunned by this detail.

That night, Emily recalls more of Alison's snide remarks from that unforgettable summer day. As she puts on the scarf that Maya gifted her, she remembers how Alison had commented on the couple, Noel and Prudence, heading to what they assumed was The Kissing Rock. Alison had matter-of-factly informed Emily that people had been going there to kiss for hundreds of years. Then, she looked daringly into Emily's eyes and asked her who she would like to take to The Kissing Rock. Emily smiled shyly and gazed back at her.

PLL108-00783 — Hanna/Sean and Aria/Noel double date

Later at Hanna's house, Hanna pushes an uneasy Aria closer to Noel Kahn. Whether for reasons of missing Ezra or family issues, Aria is distant during dinner. Noel confronts Aria about her cold behavior, suspecting Aria of being stuck on a boy in Iceland. Aria plays along, as the truth is close enough, and realizes aloud that she needs to move on (from Ezra), as that relationship will never be what she wants it to be and can only end badly. Aria mentally lets go and gives Noel a chance. Then, Lucas briefly stops by, giving Sean pause. Hanna claims it is for the yearbook, but really, Lucas has dropped off the cash proceeds from Hanna's old handbags. When Ashley comes home, she is stunned to see a fully stocked fridge and is upset to learn that Hanna sold her belongings. She expresses appreciation, but asks Hanna never to do it again, as it makes her feel inadequate as a provider.

At the Rosewood Movie Theater, Emily and Maya enjoy their first official date. It isn't long before the two of them start making out during the film.

Next, Spencer speaks to Jason alone, discussing Alison and the prospect of putting away her killer. Jason confesses that he thinks that imprisoning the killer would not provide closure, as nothing can change the fact that his 15-year-old sister was murdered. But Spencer believes justice is worth something. At the mention of justice, Jason balks, accusing Spencer of being a hypocrite, when Ali had told him that she instigated "The Jenna Thing" and was the one who threw the stink bombs and threatened Toby into silence. Later, Spencer remarks on the convenience of Alison's cover-up to her friends; Spencer had threatened to expose Ali if Alison exposed Spencer's relationship with Ian. If she could convince people that Spencer was the guilty one, Spencer's threats would be rendered ineffective. The girls feel less closure than ever, knowing that Ali had created so much lasting trouble for them.

At the memorial, the girls are stunned by the sudden reappearance of Ian, Melissa’s ex, but even more surprised when Jenna takes the stage after Spencer, Hanna, Emily, and Aria. As they wait with bated breath and anxiousness as to what she will say, or worse yet, spill - in the end, she offers quite possibly the kindest words for their dearly departed friend. Whether her moving speech was actually sincere, the Pretty Little Liars can’t be sure, because it could just as easily be another trick up Jenna’s sleeve.

After the memorial, Jason stops by Spencer's house to thank the girls. Given what Spencer has shared with them, the girls are cautious around him, but they do accept his gift: the "Alison" friendship bracelet that Alison was wearing on the day she died. It soon becomes clear to the girls that the beaded "Alison" bracelet they had previously found must have been a fake, made by someone like "A."

At the end of the episode, Alison's memorial is being badly trashed by someone in black. "A?"

Trivia[]

Emily and Maya are seen at the movies watching the 1943 horror classic I Walked with a Zombie.
Although credited, Holly Marie Combs (Ella Montgomery) did not appear in this episode.
The actor who plays Jason DiLaurentis in this episode (Parker Bagley) is very different from the actor who plays him in Season 2 (Drew Van Acker). Their appearances are very different (older and more preppy), whereas the new one is more built and dresses more casually while sporting long hair. They also have very distinct personalities. This Jason acts like "a politician," as the girls put it, bossy, glib, and smug, but the latter Jason is seen as reclusive and more casual. The new Jason also resembles Alison more.
Alison's remark to Hanna in the flashback—when Hanna is about to defend Lucas, but intimidated, stops herself from confronting the towering Alison—is reminiscent of the late baseball player Satchel Paige's quote: "Don't look back; something might be gaining on you."
In a flashback, Alison foreshadows her own death by saying she would like to die mysteriously and "leave a beautiful corpse" (by dying young)
This is Jason’s first appearance on the show.
The person who trashed the memorial will be revealed in further seasons.
This is Ryan Merriman's first appearance as Ian. The character made a brief appearance in "Pilot", albeit, portrayed by a different actor.
The message Spencer received in this episode said; ''subject: the dedication. Do it right, I'll be watching. Just like Tom Sawyer. --A''

Title[]

The title is a play on the 1930 song "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone," sung by Sam Stept (in which the singer requests the listener say nothing negative after their breakup).

Main Cast[]

Supporting Cast[]

Tammin Sursok as Jenna Marshall
Chuck Hittinger as Sean Ackard
Brendan Robinson as Lucas Gottesman
Brant Daugherty as Noel Kahn
Parker Bagley as Jason DiLaurentis
Bianca Lawson as Maya St. Germain
Ian Harding as Ezra Fitz (archive footage)
Chad Lowe as Byron Montgomery
Laura Leighton as Ashley Marin
Ryan Merriman as Ian Thomas
Bryce Johnson as Darren Wilden
Shane Schoeppner as Memorial Attendee (uncredited)

Featured Music[]

"Will You Catch Me Then" by Garrison Starr (flashback with Alison and girls by lakeside)
"Faster Babe" by 2AM Club (Ali mocks Lucas in flashback)
"Car Dance" by Leah Andreone and Kevin Fisher (girls talk about Jenna in flashback)
"So This Is Progress" by The Status (flashback with Alison and girls by lakeside)
"I'm Not Over" by Carolina Liar (Lucas sells Hanna's handbags online)
"Every Summer" by US Royalty (flashback of Ali and Emily)
"Under The Umbrella" by Company Of Thieves (double date)

Gallery[]

Please, Do Talk About Me When I'm Gone has a photo gallery.

Memorable Quotes[]

Aria: How did he get into an Ivy League school?
Spencer: It must have been affirmative action for goths and emos.

Ashley: This is a one paycheck family, and we can't live a two-paycheck life.

Emily [about music for Ali's memorial]: Did anyone call Shelly Leonard?
Spencer: Done. And I told her that if she plays anything depressing, I will kick in her cello.

Alison: Never look back, Hanna. Something might be gaining on you.

Jenna: Alison was done with you. Did you know that? She was afraid of you.

Alison: It's immortality, my darlings.

Sean: Yearbook? Are you working with Meta-Geek?
Hanna: If you mean Lucas, yes.
Sean: Well, watch out. Cooties are contagious.

Hanna: Aria, the lights in this house are dimming because all the energy you're sucking out of the air.

Aria: This is still Alison's movie and we're just filling up the screen.

Jenna [speaking at Alison's memorial]: We think we know who we are, but we don't. Not until something bad happens to us, and then all the useless things fall away, and we're left with who we really are. I learned that from Alison DiLaurentis. My whole life, I thought I knew who she was, but I found out the truth when she came and talked to me at the hospital. I found out that she was the strongest person that I had ever met. And it's her strength that touched so many people, shaped them. That's her real legacy. That's how her memory will endure, in the actions of those she inspired in so many different ways. From all of us... thank you, Alison.