PRETTY LITTLE LIARS: Unbroken Circle; Broken Spencer [Recap]

Last night’s episode of Pretty Little Liars was titled Will the Circle Be Unbroken, and while the circle may remain in tact we’re not quite sure if Spencer will. This episode was all about Spencer, no matter what else happened. I think the biggest thing to finally come into focus is the similarity between Spencer and Mona.

Spencer Found at Radley

Though we all new that’s where she ended up in last week’s episode, this week Spencer’s family, friends and Dr. Sullivan find her there.  Known only as ‘Jane Doe’ Dr. Sullivan is called in to evaluate a patient that appears to have amnesia. She’s surprised to find Spencer is that patient and even more surprised to discover that Spencer is enjoying her time off from – herself.

Annabeth Gish returns as Dr. Sullivan.

Spencer tells the doctor what she saw in the woods. Sullivan notifies the police, but the report comes back that there was no body discovered in the woods. For those of us who doubted that Toby is dead, could this confirm things for us? I still believe it was all a setup to have Spencer committed.

Spencer keeps insisting that she saw Toby’s body and that he is dead, but she admitted that she never saw a face and cannot verify that what she saw was real. To emphasize this, in a group session later in the episode Spencer is talking and suddenly she sees her friends sitting there and begins talking to them. “You don’t know me anymore. I’m not the person I was. You can’t rely on me anymore.” (Paraphrased) Completely broken, I tell ya’.

Meanwhile, Spencer also discovers that her nurse is Eddie Lamb. She sees the badge with the name and realizes that Toby stole this guy’s badge to get in to visit Mona. Eddie is wearing a new badge in this episode because they had to completely overhaul their security system due to problems they had had recently; i.e. badge stealing and patients (Mona) coming in and out at will. When Spencer tells Eddie that the guy who took his badge was named ‘Toby’, Eddie recalls another Toby who’s mother was committed to Radley years ago. When Spencer tells him ‘her Toby’s’ last name, Eddie says it could be a coincidence, but neither one of them really believes that. For the record, I really like this guy.

Reggie Austin plays ‘Eddie Lamb’, Spencer’s nurse.

Oh and by the way, Spencer is staying in the same room that Mona was in. Tada! Camera zooms in on the desk in the room and the words “Will the circle be unbroken” is scratched into the surface, triggering a flashback scene with Alison and Spencer in church, singing the famous song. Across the aisle, Alison spots Mona really getting into the song. It’s another pitiful look at Alison’s bullying of Mona.

Outside of the church, Alison is writing in her diary. When Spencer asks to read it Alison tells her she can read it when she’s dead. Hmm. Alison tells Spence that she’s writing it for her. I feel like we’ll revisit this later somehow but right now it didn’t seem to fit.

Another highlight of the Radley scenes happens when Mona pays Spencer a visit. This is the part that I loved.  She has most of Alison’s diaries and shows them to Spencer. She tells her she doesn’t have them all but knows where to find them. Mona tells Spencer, “I have answers to questions you haven’t even asked yet.” A very intriguing statement, don’t you think?

Mona to Spencer, “You’re not crazy, you’re as sane as I am.”

Mona goes on to say that Spencer is trying to put pieces of a jigsaw puzzle together without first seeing the picture on the box. Apparently Mona has the big picture. Words back and forth between the girls and Spencer ends up telling Mona she had better leave or she’ll start choking her again. After all, she has nothing more to lose. She’s already thought to be crazy. But Mona is undaunted and tells Spencer, “You’re not crazy, you’re as sane as I am.” BOOM! The two are mirrors of each other! I know I’m not telling you anything new here, but I love that they’ve finally brought that into focus. Mona ends by telling Spencer, “You need me.”

Trying to wrap my brain around that last statement for a minute, why would Mona say that to Spencer? Why would Spencer need Mona? Is she planning on turning the tables on the one in charge of the A brigade? Is she trying to recruit Spencer? What could Spencer possibly want with Mona? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.

One other thing, Mona reveals to Spencer that Alison was not pregnant, it was a false alarm. I don’t know if that will mean anything later, but there it is.

Other Things That Happened

A few other things happened that are notable in this episode. Wilden is not dead and he’s looking for his car. He seems pretty desperate to find it too. Could he be after that recording of the night Ashley ran him over? He didn’t look too good in that scene and the tape could be pretty discriminating. He tells Hannah he’ll stop following her and Ashley around once she gives him the location of his car. This should be fun.

Five-time Olympic Medalist Missy Franklin

Gold Medalist Missy Franklin makes her appearance when Paige’s ex (can’t remember her name) sets up a meeting between her and Emily. What this scene was for I could not even tell you. It made no sense at all and had no place in the show, much less this episode.

Hannah convinces Ashley to take the business trip to New York that her bank wants to send her on. It’s all part of preparations for a promotion that would relocate her and Hannah to the Big Apple. Hannah wants to get Ashley out of town for a while and away from Wilden.

And something happened with Aria and Fitz but couldn’t care less.

Next week the Liars face new difficult decisions in I’m Your Puppet, airing at 8/7c on ABC Family.