Somehow, it always comes down to a mysterious blonde in the woods. The Perfectionists have discovered a new-old player in Beacon Heights.
When you’re prime suspects in the murder of your “best friend,” there’s a few things to know. Unfortunately – or, more realistically, fortunately – Ava, Caitlin and Dylan aren’t experienced in this realm, and as a result, they haven’t perfected the basics.
Good thing Ali’s around! Lesson 1 in the DiLaurentis School for Wayward Liars: keep the alibi simple and act like nothing is out of the ordinary. But make sure your fellow liars know the truth. So, where were Ava, Caitlin and Dylan really on the night of Nolan’s murder? “Walking home.”
And that’s exactly what Beacon Guard caught, for the most part. At any rate, it’s what Claire Hotchkiss wants to believe. But just to be sure, she’ll call in the unwitting cavalry: Caitlin. This poor girl just wants to have her life (and secrets) back, and she still has to play the perfect former future-daughter-in-law.
But when Claire gives away that she knows about Nolan’s stash of photos of Caitlin’s mom – the same ones that Dana Booker also flashed – and asks her to do some digging on Ava and Dylan, it seems to be a bit easier for Caitlin to pull away, even just the slightest bit.
That’s because of rule number 2 of the DiLaurentis teachings: trust your squad. The problem is that the Perfectionists aren’t a true squad. Nolan designed it that way. Caitlin and Dylan don’t know Ava feels totally alone now. Ava and Caitlin are only just learning how truly in love with Andy Dylan is.
The beauty of this is we get to see the bonds of this trio form. With the original PLL, our girls had been friends for years; we just saw them revive their friendships. The Perfectionists are in totally new territory, and despite their age, it’s like watching kids bond in elementary school again. I’m enjoying this friendship.
Of course, Ava is definitely not sipping on apple juice lately. Even with these real friendships developing, that’s likely going to be a hard vice to drop. It may also make her a pretty little unreliable narrator going forward.
She was presumably stone cold sober on the night she followed Nolan into the woods, but it still didn’t help her identify the woman he came to meet. It’s a lead though, and one the Perfectionists are intent on following.
They’ve learned a truth of this universe pretty quickly: they can’t sit around waiting for law enforcement like Dana Booker. And so, it’s over the river, through the woods, to the creepy cabin we go!
DiLaurentis rule number 3: if you’re going investigating, maybe don’t pull up in the driveway. It was so easy for Alison to sneak up on them, and bust them for breaking that “act normally” rule. As always, it ends up working out that Alison arrives on the scene. It sparks Ava’s memory that Nolan’s secret meeting was with someone who looked a lot like Ali.
By the end of the episode, the Perfectionists think nothing of that. Their focus has been pulled to Mason, who was unbearably annoying this week.
But Ali knows better. She was visibly jarred by how similar Taylor Hotchkiss looked to her. And after going back for a dead rose in the cabin, Alison’s figured it out. Once you fake your own death, it gets easier to recognize if someone else has.
At this point, there’s not much she can do with the info besides go to Mona. But together, Monison (as the internet has come to call them) is a pretty formidable duo. They’ll stir the pot next week for sure.
Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists airs on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Freeform.