Power Play

“	We have to solve this puzzle before the cops can solve Dunhill's murder.	”
	— Aria to the Liars about the board game

Power Play
Season 7, Episode 14
Air Date	May 9, 2017
Written by	Lijah Barasz
Directed by	Roger Kumble
Episode Guide
Previous: Hold Your Piece	Next: In the Eye Abides the Heart

Power Play is the fourteenth episode of Season 7 of Pretty Little Liars. It aired on May 9th, 2017.

Synopsis

Ali’s turn at the game forces her to face a monumental personal decision, made even more difficult when A.D. triggers Ali to remember a forgotten trauma. Spencer has a long overdue conversation with her father about his past sins and recent whereabouts. Emily continues to navigate working at Rosewood High with both Ali and Paige, especially when Ali comes to a troubling realization about her pregnancy, and Paige makes a big decision. Aria continues to question the fate of her relationship with Ezra and bristles under A.D.’s taunts. And, in the search for Mary Drake, Hanna and Spencer run into a familiar face with a shocking secret.

Notes

• This episode marks Ted's first appearance since "The Melody Lingers On".
• Detective Furey tells Ali that he received one of Archer's decomposing fingers and reveals the investigation is now ruled a homicide.
• Peter tells Spencer about the last time he saw Mary Drake: Mary (dressed up like Jessica) sneaked into the Hastings residence and went to Spencer's bedroom so she could see her daughter all grown up. He also reveals that Mary killed Jessica for revenge for hiding that Charles was alive the whole time and that he had become Charlotte; he also knew about Charlotte's existence.
• Ted reveals to Hanna that he is Charlotte's biological father, and also reveals that Lucas was Charles' friend when they were younger.
• Alison remembers that A.D. used Emily's eggs they stole to get her pregnant while she was a patient at Welby State after playing the board game.
• Sydney is confirmed to be working for Uber A and she tries to recruit Aria. She also claims that she is the one who shot Spencer and rescued Jenna in "The DArkest Knight" before Aria realizes she's wearing an earpiece.

Title and Background

• The title was revealed by I. Marlene King on Twitter.
• There are two definitions for the phrase Power Play: tactics exhibiting or intended to increase a person's power or influence. As well as, tactics in a team sport involving the concentration of players at a particular point.
• The title possibly refers to Aria's arrangement with A.D. to win the board game. 

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

• Ian Harding as Ezra Fitz
• Andrea Parker as Mary Drake
• Lindsey Shaw as Paige McCullers
• Nolan North as Peter Hastings
• Nicholas Gonzalez as Marco Furey
• Chloe Bridges as Sydney Driscoll
• Edward Kerr as Ted Wilson
• Lesley Fera as Veronica Hastings (flashback only)

Trivia

• The table read for this episode occurred on August 3rd, 2016.
• Filming for this episode began on August 5th, 2016 and wrapped on August 15th, 2016.
• This is Lijah J. Barasz & Roger Kumble's last episode for the show.
• The episode's official press release was made public on April 21st, 2017.
• The intro in this episode features Alison doing the 'Shhh'.
• The episode was watched by 0.91 million viewers on its original broadcast.

Featured Music

• "Don't Let Me Go (Acoustic)" by RAIGN - (Ezra returns to the apartment, where Aria informs him that Nicole is asleep upstairs and that she'll have a lot of questions about their relationship when she awakens)
• "Someday" by Banta - (Hanna talks to Lucas on the phone about the investors' meeting; Hanna gives Emily a better shirt to wear for work and Emily tells her about her night following Sydney then reassures her about not finishing her turn in the game)
• "She's Broken" by Billie Eilish - (At The Brew, Ezra explains to Aria how Nicole came to be at their place then promises, that she knows of their engagement and that she'll be gone in a few so they can return back to normal lives soon)
• "My Love" by The Bird and the Bee - (Emily and Paige race to decide if Paige should go to Iowa or not; Paige stops and informs Emily that she already decided to stay and they kiss)
• "Devil Devil" by MILCK - (The girls watch as the game begins to decide who's turn it is now then it leads on Hanna to play again; Aria receives a text from A.D. asking if she has made a decision yet)

Gallery

Power Play has a photo gallery.

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Episodes

Season 1 Pilot • The Jenna Thing • To Kill a Mocking Girl • Can You Hear Me Now? • Reality Bites Me • There's No Place Like Homecoming • The Homecoming Hangover • Please, Do Talk About Me When I'm Gone • The Perfect Storm • Keep Your Friends Close • Moments Later • Salt Meets Wound • Know Your Frenemies • Careful What U Wish 4 • If At First You Don't Succeed, Lie, Lie Again • Je Suis une Amie • The New Normal • The Badass Seed • A Person of Interest • Someone to Watch Over Me • Monsters in the End • For Whom the Bell Tolls Season 2 It's Alive • The Goodbye Look • My Name Is Trouble • Blind Dates • The Devil You Know • Never Letting Go • Surface Tension • Save the Date • Picture This • Touched by an 'A'-ngel • I Must Confess • Over My Dead Body • The First Secret • Through Many Dangers, Toils, and Snares • A Hot Piece of A • Let the Water Hold Me Down • The Blond Leading the Blind • A Kiss Before Lying • The Naked Truth • CTRL: A • Breaking the Code • Father Knows Best • Eye of the Beholder • If These Dolls Could Talk • UnmAsked Season 3 It Happened 'That Night' • Blood Is The New Black • Kingdom of the Blind • Birds of a Feather • That Girl is Poison • The Remains of the "A" • Crazy • Stolen Kisses • The Kahn Game • What Lies Beneath • Single Fright Female • The Lady Killer • This Is A Dark Ride • She's Better Now • Mona-Mania • Misery Loves Company • Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Inferno • Dead to Me • What Becomes of the Broken-Hearted • Hot Water • Out of Sight, Out of Mind • Will The Circle Be Unbroken? • I'm Your Puppet • A DAngerous GAme Season 4 'A' is for A-l-i-v-e • Turn of the Shoe • Cat's Cradle • Face Time • Gamma Zeta Die! • Under The Gun • Crash and Burn, Girl! • The Guilty Girl's Handbook • Into the Deep • The Mirror Has Three Faces • Bring Down the Hoe • Now You See Me, Now You Don't • Grave New World • Who's In The Box? • Love ShAck, Baby • Close Encounters • Bite Your Tongue • Hot for Teacher • Shadow Play • Free Fall • She's Come Undone • Cover For Me • Unbridled • A is for Answers Season 5 EscApe From New York • Whirly Girlie • Surfing the Aftershocks • Thrown From The Ride • Miss Me x 100 • Run, Ali, Run • The Silence of E. Lamb • Scream For Me • March of Crimes • A Dark Ali • No One Here Can Love or Understand Me • Taking This One to the Grave • How the 'A' Stole Christmas • Through a Glass, Darkly • 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 • To Plea or Not to Plea • The Melody Lingers On • I'm a Good Girl, I Am • Welcome to the Dollhouse Season 6 Game On, Charles • Songs of Innocence • Songs of Experience • Don't Look Now • She's No Angel • No Stone Unturned • O Brother, Where Art Thou • FrAmed • Last Dance • Game Over, Charles • Of Late I Think Of Rosewood • Charlotte's Web • The Gloves Are On • New Guys, New Lies • Do Not Disturb • Where Somebody Waits For Me • We've All Got Baggage • Burn This • Did You Miss Me? • Hush, Hush, Sweet Liars Season 7 Tick-Tock, Bitches • Bedlam • The Talented Mr. Rollins • Hit and Run, Run, Run • Along Comes Mary • Wanted: Dead or Alive • Original G'A'ngsters • Exes and OMGs • The Wrath of Kahn • The DArkest Knight • Playtime • These Boots Were Made for Stalking • Hold Your Piece • Power Play • In the Eye Abides the Heart • The Glove That Rocks the Cradle • Driving Miss Crazy • Choose or Lose • Farewell, My Lovely • 'Til Death Do Us Part Pretty Dirty Secrets A ReservAtion • A Reunion • A VoicemAil • I'm A Free MAn • TrAde Off • AssociAtion • CAll Security • The "A" Train Specials A LiArs Guide to Rosewood • Pretty Little Bloopers • We Love You to DeAth • 5 Years Forward • A-List Wrap Party