| “ | Spencer: Noel Kahn was there the whole time? He was helping Charlotte? Emily: We may not be able to prove that he tortured Hanna, but this proves that he tortured us, and he's gonna go to jail for that. |
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The Wrath of Kahn is the ninth episode of Season 7 of Pretty Little Liars and the 149th episode of the show overall. It aired on August 23, 2016.
Synopsis
One of the PLLs goes rogue to prove that Noel Kahn is Uber A, while the others try to find evidence to back her theory and worry about her emotional state. Emily unexpectedly turns to Paige for comfort in her time of need, which causes tension in her other relationships. Jason and Aria team up to look into Mary’s past and what she might be hiding.
Plot
Hanna's backup video.
Hanna doesn't want to wait around for proof that Noel is Uber "A," so she texts her friends that she's in New York working on her fashion business with Lucas. In her new lair, Hanna takes out duct tape, a hammer, rope, and a video camera. Hanna records a goodbye message in case her plan goes wrong. She says into the camera, "If you find this video before I finish what I need to do, something went terribly wrong. Please give this to the police."
Marco visits Spencer.
In Spencer's house, she gets a visit from Detective Marco Furey. The police believe Archer Dunhill fled to France with a fake passport. The case is no longer in Marco's jurisdiction. Now that Marco isn't investigating Alison's husband anymore, he can ask Spencer out to dinner. Spencer turns him down because she still isn't over Caleb. It's too soon for her to start dating someone new. Marco understands, but he gives her his card in case she changes her mind.
Emily tells Sabrina Noel is dangerous.
At The Brew, Emily sees Sabrina, who's having red velvet cake for breakfast. She's testing out the icing for a special order cake. Emily freaks when she sees the special order is for Noel Kahn. She warns Sabrina that Noel is dangerous. Sabrina doesn't see what Noel can do other than steal her pies or give her a bad Yelp review. Emily begs Sabrina not to work with Noel, but she can't yet explain why, because she has to head out to an interview.
Aria admits to Jason she lied.
Jason goes to Aria's house to inform her about the fire in his aunt's house. He asks Aria if she knows who started the fire, but she denies knowing anything about it. Then, Jason shares with Aria that he thinks Archer is in the country and that he followed Alison to her aunt's house and tried to hurt her. Aria admits she lied and says she was with Ali and the fire was an accident.
Hanna found Sara's phone.
Hanna, incognito in a baseball cap, watches Noel dump a trash bag into a dumpster. Once Noel drives away, Hanna digs out the bag. She finds Sara Harvey’s cracked cell phone in the trash bag.
Paige and Emily talk about their interview.
At Rosewood High, Emily and Paige both have interviews for the swim coach position. Emily has trouble filling out the job application. She doesn’t know if she should be honest when she answers, “Have you ever been arrested?” Paige gives Emily a pep talk. Principal Hackett already knows Emily’s history. He wouldn’t have suggested the job if he didn’t want Emily to apply. Emily and Paige bond over their past history of committing crimes. Paige thinks she’s probably aided and abetted a few of Emily’s crimes. Paige tells Emily to forget the past. Emily would make an excellent swim coach. Emily is a great swimmer, but she’s also a good person. Paige says Emily is the best person she knows. Emily has a good interview.
Flashback of Aria and Jason kissing.
At the courthouse, Aria and Jason have a long wait ahead of them. Jason gets Aria a coffee. He remembers that she takes her coffee with sugar and a dash of milk. In a flashback, we see Jason and Aria during the five-year time jump. Aria and Jason kiss and seem pretty cute together. Jason is going to Ethiopia in a few weeks. He asks Aria to come with him, but Aria isn’t enthusiastic about traveling. She already has job interviews lined up. Jason asks Aria to think about it.
Paige and Em reminisce about high school.
At Rosewood High, a few girls on the swim team are being bullied, so Principal Hackett thinks Emily can help them. Paige and Emily reminisce about high school. Paige doesn’t miss the stalking and acne, but she does miss Emily. Paige wants to hang out with her, but Emily says she has plans with Sabrina. Emily doesn’t think her relationship will work out with Sabrina, as there are so many secrets she’s keeping from her about her past and present. Emily tells Paige that the hell from high school is happening again, but she doesn’t go into specifics. Paige gives Emily some relationship advice. Emily found a way to include Paige in high school. Emily should be able to do the same with Sabrina now.
Hanna buys pills.
Hanna buys some pills that will knock a person out for hours.
Spencer gets the cabin's address.
At Spencer's house, she calls her mom’s campaign manager to get Noel’s address from the voter registration database. She gets the address for Noel’s parents’ cabin. Spencer and Emily are shocked when they realize Noel’s cabin is in the same area Hanna was held captive by A.D.
Spencer breaks in.
Spencer and Emily break into Noel’s cabin. They hear a sound that reminds them of the dollhouse bunker. They also spot a security camera. Spencer takes care of that problem by smashing the lens.
Jason and Aria at the courthouse.
At the courthouse, it's Aria and Jason's turn to speak to the clerk, but she immediately dismisses their request for the adoption records. Aria details Jason's family story to gain sympathy from the clerk. Jason's mom is dead, his dad disappeared, his cousin was recently murdered, and his sister was recently released from a psychiatric hospital. Aria pleads for help, saying Jason is desperate for a family connection. Finding his cousin would mean everything to him. The clerk is moved by Aria's speech. Noticing Aria's engagement ring, the clerk mistakenly thinks Aria and Jason are engaged. After telling Jason how lucky he is to have a fiancée who cares so much, she promises to find the closed adoption records in the archive room.
Pills to powder.
Hanna uses a hammer to smash the pills into a powder. She texts Noel, telling him to meet her at a bar. She has Sara Harvey’s cell phone with his fingerprints on it.
Same stamp from Maya's hand.
At Noel's cabin, Spencer and Emily search Noel's bedroom for clues that he's Mary's son. They find a box with the symbol that Noel's brother, Eric Kahn, used as a stamp to let people into his parties. Emily remembers seeing the stamp on Maya's hand. Spencer remembers the stamp from the time Charlotte took her and Aria to one of the parties.
Noel helping in the dollhouse.
Inside the box is a flash drive. Spencer immediately checks the flash drive. They're shocked to find folders marked 'Spencer,' 'Aria,' 'Hanna,' 'Emily,' and 'Mona.' Spencer opens the folder with her name on it. It's filled with videos of her in the dollhouse. Spencer watches one of the videos. She sees footage of Noel in the dollhouse. While Spencer was unconscious, Noel poured blood on Spencer's hands and on the floor. Spencer is horrified to learn that Noel Kahn was there the whole time. He even made her think she had murdered someone. "I really thought that I hurt someone," Spencer says as she cries.
Spencer tells Aria about the flashdrive.
Back at home, Spencer tells Aria about the flash drive. They all agree to take the flash drive to the police, but Aria and Emily want to wait until Hanna gets back. Unfortunately, they have no idea where Hanna is as she has been ignoring their phone calls. Also, Lucas told Emily that he has no idea where Hanna is. Spencer really wants to go to the cops right away, but she’s outvoted. Aria and Emily want to wait for Caleb to track Hanna’s phone. They can’t tell the cops that Hanna is tracking Noel down like The Hunger Games.
Sabrina just wants to spend time with Emily.
Sabrina stops by to give Emily some red velvet cupcakes. Sabrina wants to grab a bite to eat with Emily, but Emily can't. Once again, Emily can't explain what's going on. Emily asks Sabrina to be patient. She promises to explain everything the next day when it's all over.
Hanna spikes Noel's beer.
At a bar, Hanna orders two beers. She drugs Noel’s beer with the crushed pills. Once Noel arrives, Hanna gets right to the point. She immediately accuses Noel of killing Sara. Noel insists Sara died when she fell in the shower.
Be careful, Hanna, or you’ll end up just like Sara.
Hanna tells Noel that they both need alibis for the night Sara Harvey was murdered. They can help each other and both walk away clean. Noel demands to see Sara’s phone. Once Hanna shows him the phone, she tries to get him to drink the drugged beer. Noel tells Hanna to take a sip of his beer first. When she refuses, Noel realizes Hanna must have messed with the drink. Noel grabs Sara’s phone. Before taking off, Noel says, “Be careful, Hanna, or you’ll end up just like Sara.”
Spencer calls Marco.
Spencer rushes home because the storm caused her mom’s car alarm to go off. She cries as she watches the dollhouse footage again. Spencer calls Detective Marco Furey and leaves a message asking him to come over.
Aria and Jason.
Aria goes to Jason’s house to check if he received the adoption records. Unfortunately, the storm knocked out the power at his place. He can’t get a fax from the county clerk until the power is back. They sit on the couch, and he thanks Aria for convincing her to send the report by acting, but Aria says it wasn't all an act, and that her life has been a little complicated lately, and that's why she can efficiently channel her frustration.
Jason says that Aria and Ezra were meant to be.
Jason admits that Emily told him about what's happening in Colombia with Nicole and that Ezra went there to reunite with her. Aria is still stressed over the Nicole situation as she hasn't yet heard from Ezra. Aria tells Jason that she's worried about what will happen if Nicole is alive. Jason reassures her, saying that she'll remain engaged because Ezra loves her. Aria worries that she's just his consolation prize. Ezra loved Nicole, and Aria thinks he would still be with her if she hadn't gone missing. Jason doesn't believe that. He thinks Aria and Ezra "were always meant to be."
Flashback of Aria and Jason.
In a flashback, we see Jason showing Aria how much she could help by travelling to Ethiopia, but Aria admits she got offered a job at Alan B & Lawrence; she accepted. Jason recognized the name of the company for being the one that published Ezra's book, and clearly suspects that Aria accepted that job to cross paths with Ezra again. Aria says it's just a coincidence, but Jason turns away from her.
Jason and Aria apologize to each other.
Back in the present, Aria realizes Jason was right; that she hoped the job would bring her and Ezra back together. He took the opportunity to make his feelings for her known by putting his hand on her thigh and saying that he can't imagine there's anyone better than her. After a few seconds, Aria stands up and tries to leave, but Jason apologizes for making her feel uncomfortable and asks her to stay and wait out the storm.
Spencer doesn't want to be alone.
In Spencer's house, a tree branch smashes through the kitchen window. Spencer notices the door is open. She sees the shadow of a person in her house. Detective Marco Furey arrives just in time. He searches Spencer's house, but doesn't find an intruder. Spencer didn't imagine it, though. The intruder stole Noel's flash drive. Marco fixes Spencer's window. He also offers to get Spencer a blanket or a stiff drink. Spencer asks Marco to stay a little longer as she really doesn't want to be alone.
Aria gets a text from Ezra saying Nichole wasn't one of the hostages and so he'll be home tomorrow.
Paige was watching Sabrina.
Emily calls Paige and tells her that things didn't go as planned. Emily tells her that Noel Kahn is the new "A." Emily asks Paige to come over. Paige, who's at the Brew watching Sabrina, says she'll be right over. Then, Emily leaves a voicemail for Hanna. She says Hanna was right about Noel being dangerous. The Liars are ready to go to the police. Emily begs Hanna to come home.
The judge was Noel's dad!
In Jason's house, Jason gets a faxed copy of the adoption records, but he's disappointed to see that it's heavily redacted. All the essential information is blacked out, like who adopted the baby, the father's name, and the gender. Aria notices one crucial part: the name of the judge was Steven Kahn (Noel's dad). Aria wonders if Steven Kahn adopted Mary's baby.
It’s over, bitch.
Noel finds Hanna’s baseball cap at his cabin. When he bends down to pick it up, Hanna comes up behind him and whacks his head with a metal rod. “It’s over, bitch,” Hanna says to the now unconscious Noel.
Notes
- Hanna witnesses Noel disposing of Sara Harvey's broken phone. He later takes it back when Hanna fails to prove that he's A.D.
- Inside the Kahns' Cabin, Spencer and Emily find a flash drive full of videos from the time they were in A's Dollhouse. After watching one of the videos, they discover that Noel Kahn was helping Charlotte torture them. The flash drive is later stolen when someone breaks into Spencer's house.
- Emily tells Paige that a new A is stalking them.
- Aria receives a text from Ezra stating Nicole wasn't one of the rescued Colombian hostages.
- Aria and Jason discover that Steven Kahn, Noel's father, orchestrated the adoption of Mary's Second Child.
- Fully convinced that he is Uber A, Hanna abducts Noel after attacking him at his cabin at the end of the episode.
Title and Background
- The title of this episode is a reference to the Star Trek movie Wrath of Khan.
- It also refers to Noel Kahn's anger towards Hanna.
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 (Credited only)
Supporting Cast
- Brant Daugherty as Noel Kahn
- Drew Van Acker as Jason DiLaurentis
- Lulu Brud as Sabrina
- Lindsey Shaw as Paige McCullers
- Nicholas Gonzalez as Marco Furey
Trivia
- The table read for this episode occurred on June 2nd, 2016.[1]
- Filming for this episode began on June 15th, 2016[2] and wrapped on June 22nd, 2016.[3]
- This is the first penultimate episode to not be written or co-written by an executive producer of the show.
- The intro in this episode features Alison doing the 'Shhh'. Ironically, Alison is absent from the episode, making this the first episode of 7A from which Alison is absent.
- This is Jonell Lennon's last episode for the show. This is also the first season, since Season 1, that Jonell has not written an episode for a half-season.
- The episode was watched live by 1.09 million viewers.
- With only four of the main cast credited during the opening credits making an appearance, this episode features the least number of main character appearances of all the episodes in the season so far.
Featured Music
- "In The Dark" by Carl Broemel - (Sabrina taste tests icing when Emily arrives at The Brew; Emily warns Sabrina away from Noel when she finds out Noel is the client Sabrina will be baking for)
- "Sex and Candy (Marcy Playground Cover)" by Unions - (Flashback) Jason brings Aria coffee in bed, then asks if she'll come to Ethiopia with him during his charity mission; Aria is noticeably shaken, after flashing back to her and Jason's past romance)
- "Each Man" by Greg D'Allessandro - (Hanna ignores a call from Aria as she waits at the counter of a bar when Noel arrives at the dinner; Hanna spikes a pint of beer then heads over to Noel)
- "Leaving" by Coast - (Hanna sits down at Noel's table, hands him the drug laced beer, then announces that she's the one he's there to meet and that she knows he killed Sara)
- "Rock and Roll Rave" by The Preatures - (After Noel claims that Sara died from a fall in her shower, Hanna questions why he needed to throw her phone in the garbage, far away from The Radley)
- "Don’t Let Me Go" by Bandit Heart - (Spencer apologizes to Marco for the false alarm; Emily calls Paige and asks her to come over; Paige watches Sabrina at The Brew; Ezra texts Aria that he's coming home and that Nicole wasn't found)
Gallery
 The Wrath of Kahn has a photo gallery. |
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