Review: Pretty Little Liars Take the Heat in Summer Premiere

Tonight was the summer premiere of ABC Family’s hit series, Pretty Little Liars. This episode picks up right after the final scene from last season, with the girls being driven off to the police station by Garrett, who we saw canoodling with Jenna last season. He makes the girls promise to keep the secret of the videos they found, which they do. As they get back in Garrett’s police car, Jenna is seen in the background watching all this go down.

As the episode moves along Toby is barred from seeing Spencer; Ezra begs Aria to come to his place so he can talk with her and explain his relationship with ex-fiancé, Jackie; Caleb shows up at Hannah’s house and explains about the letter he wrote to her and gave to Mona; and Melissa tells Spencer she doesn’t want her baby anywhere near her. It’s a packed episode, launching the season in a big way and laying out the various directions in which this season will go.

High points:

• Aria doesn’t want to trust Ezra and has a hard time with his explanation of Jackie, however, after he tells her all about the history she finally decides to give him another chance. Ezra seemed to me to be really needy of her. We’ll see how that pans out.
• Outside of Aria, Hannah and Emily, no one believes Spencer’s account of what happened that night in the church tower. Ian is still missing and Melissa spews some hurtful words at Spencer but later she comes to her room and apologizes. Then she asks Spencer to tell her again everything that happened that night. Melissa seems truly upset and frightened but I can’t help but feel that she’s playing Spencer. Especially after Spencer finds Melissa’s cell phone and someone has texted the message ‘Melissa, I”m sorry but it’s not safe yet. I can’t tell you.” Melissa’s already been in touch with Ian. Or is that message from Ian?
• The girls’ parents have a pow-wow and decide the girls are having issues dealing with Allison’s death and force them to begin seeing a grief counselor. It’s pissing me off that none of them believe their own daughters. It’s no wonder the girls keep secrets when their own parents won’t listen to them. I’m thinking what’s needed here more than grief counseling is parenting classes.
• It looks like Emily’s mother is going through with the move to Texas. She’s called a Realtor and has begun the process of selling the house, much to Emily’s dismay.
• Hannah finally finds out from Caleb that Mona never gave her his letter and confronts her at the diner. Mona seems truly upset and tells Hannah that she destroyed the letter because she didn’t want to see Hannah hurt again, which doesn’t make Hannah happy. Just as she’s about to leave Mona, who walks up to her and kisses her but Noel. Sheesh! What’s he up to?
• Spencer finally calls her mother out on playing favorites with Melissa. I’ve been waiting for that since half way through season 1!
• The girls came so close to telling the grief counselor all about ‘A’. They finally realized that they can’t fight her by themselves and since the counselor is sworn to silence because of the doctor patient trust thing, they feel safe enough to take a chance. Until Spencer sees Ezra’s college degree on a book shelf in the office. ‘A’ had ransacked Ezra’s apartment and stolen it. How the heck does she always know what’s going on with all of them?! Of course, the girls high-tail it out of the counselor’s office, taking their secrets with them.
• That last incident prompts the counselor to recommend the extreme. She tells the parents that there is nothing she can do for the girls and recommends they be separated. My heart hurts.

This is shaping up to be another stellar season filled with everything we have come to love about this show and more. Get ready, the ride’s only just begun!