THE LYING GAME: “Pleased to Meet Me” Now Go Away!

Last night’s episode of The Lying Game, Pleased to Meet Me, pretty much sets things up for the rest of the season. Sutton has returned to Pheonix and we learn where she has been. Right here I just want to say that I knew she was with Annie Hobbs. I’m sure most of you figured it out as well. I thought it was Annie in the back of that car, but we still don’t know who that was, although all signs go to Derek.

The show begins with Sutton sauntering into her own bedroom where Emma, Thayer and Ethan are gathered, reminiscing about Sutton. She tells them all that she had been staying with Annie Hobbs in a motel room as Annie nursed her back to health. She’s sporting a really nice gash on her head from the accident. According to Sutton, Annie had been following her around and when she saw the car go into to lake, dove in and pulled her out, then took her to this motel to take care of her. No one is believing her story, especially Ethan who thinks she’s still playing the lying game. When Thayer shows her the note and piece of her dress that came in the gift box, she tells them that she did not send it.

As the group decide that it’s best for Emma to continue being Sutton for a while, the real Sutton needs to find a place to stay, and Ethan offers his place to her since Dan is away on a fishing trip. While there, Sutton begins to realize that they are all really angry with her, especially her treatment of Emma, who she commissioned to take her place while she went searching for their mother. It’s about time! However, I’m not trusting her remorse. Even after she tells Emma later that she will take care of her after she gets her life back. Sure, and I have a body like Marilyn Monroe and a fortune like Donald Trump.

Meanwhile, Laurel is trying her best to move on from Justin, but she’s young and it’s not easy. She sees him at a benefit she attends with Emma and wants to leave but Emma talks her into staying. The benefit has live entertainment in the form of a band, who is none other than Allie Gonino’s real life band, The Good Mad. Earlier in the episode Rebecca is helping Kristin with arrangements for this benefit, and she overhears Laurel singing. At the benefit she tries telling Laurel that she has a great career in the music industry, if she would want to pursue it. Rebecca takes it upon herself to arrange for the band to call Laurel up on the stage with them to sing and we are treated to a wonder song called “What Money Paid For” (available for a free download for a limited time on ABC Family).

Later, Justin meets Laurel as she is leaving the benefit and comes clean with all his secrets. He tells Laurel that her father killed his mother. Ted was supposed to operate on her for a simple appendicitis surgery, but he was distracted made a mistake that ended her life. Later, when she took a turn for the worse, he was no where to be found. In fact, he walked out on the surgery. Since he has no proof, Laurel has a difficult time believing him. When she finds out from him that the only reason he started dating her was to get to her dad, she sends him away for good.

I don’t think we’ve seen the last of Justin though. I also believe that the seeds of doubt have been planted and that she is going to start digging into this whole thing. I’m sure Alec helped Ted cover things up pretty well but Alec makes mistakes and nothing is buried forever. I can’t wait for the truth to come out about this, and I hope it’s Laurel who finds it. It will all lead back to Annie Hobbs. Ted was distracted because of something having to do with Annie and the twins, I’m sure.

Closing Notes:

• Thayer tracks down the video footage of the motel’s parking lot and he, Ethan and Emma watch as Annie Hobbs helps an injured Sutton out of the car and into the room, proving Sutton’s story. When they go to the motel room to look for Annie, she is gone.
• Someone breaks into the Mercer home while Sutton is there and she runs out, heading over to the benefit where she meets Thayer. They are caught by Kristin as Thayer starts to take her to find a place to stay. She tells Kristin that the cut on her head is from a clumsy fall she took.
• Ted is suspicious of Sutton’s injury because he can see that it is older than just a couple hours.
• Sutton has her life back. Emma has hers too, and this is where everything changes from now until the end of the season.
• Rebecca makes a play for Alec.
• There’s a new boy in town and he’s got his sights set on Madeline.

Your turn! Add your thoughts on Pleased to Meet Me in the comments below. We’d love to know what they are!