Pretty Little Liars - EscApe From New York - Review : "MonA's Army"

Talk about a welcome back! This week on Pretty Little Liars, we got a season premiere that almost felt like a season finale, with reveals, action and a death! The PLL production team is obviously trying to tell us to hold on to our knee boots because this season is going to be a hell of a ride now that Ali's back.

We joined the girls immediately after the events of the season finale, with the (now) 5 liars trying to decide on a course of action and ultimately deciding to split up with Aria and Ali heading one way and Hanna, Emily and Spencer headed another.

Back at the Hastings residence, Melissa, Peter and Veronica were still trying to figure out where the girls where from their end. Melissa let us know in no uncertain terms that she blames Alison for all the trouble now that everyone knows she's back from the dead. Whatever she shared with her father in the hospital last season is weighing heavily on her mind, because she almost breaks and tells her mother Da Secret, until her father gives her the Daddy's-not-above-murdering-you-Princess look from across the room...which Veronica somehow either doesn't see or refuses to address, who knows with this family.

Since the girls are split up in New York, Ali and Aria make a break for the subway where Alison shares that the only reason Ezra kept looking for her is so Aria would forgive her (love in this world is odd *shrug*) When Ali asked if Aria could forgive Ezra, she just kinda brushed it off like:

But we know she can even and she will even...possibly in this same episode!

Back at Casa de Hastings, Detective Beauty Mark informed the family that Cece Drake escaped from the police station and that Spencer could be in real danger now so if there's anything more the family need to tell him, this was the time. After a moment of silence and a few suspicious glances, the Hastings' agree that there's nothing more. Ugh.

Elsewhere in Rosewood, Mona knows Ali is alive and is speaking to someone in a red coat proclaiming that "This changes everything." in her usual annoyingly mysterious way. Regardless, the chick is equal parts smart and crazy so this is allllll bad.

Ezra made it through gunshot wound surgery successfully, which brings the total number of boyfriends shot in Rosewood to two...and if you throw in Toby's du-rag,  and multiple unsolved murders, compiled with the fact that criminals can just get up and walk out of the police station there, then you'll get a clear picture of how the community is going down fast.

The girls meet back up at the hospital, but split again quickly with Aria hanging out waiting on word about Ezra's recovery and Ali heading out into the streets of NY solo, where she ends up being chased by -A and cornered into a park. She definitely looked looked doomed for all of 30 seconds but then Em, Spence and Hanna popped out of the bushes, revealing that this was all part of the plan!

Unfortunately -A was one step ahead of the girls and like 32 other -A's popped out of the bushes from nowhere, taunting them until some cops came to break up the party. Seriously, where did all those people come from?

Back in Rosewood, Mona and Lucas(he's back!) are plotting, confirming that Lucas is still on the dark side with Mona. We'll get back to what they're up to a little later.

The Liars (minus Aria) decide to head to a more private place and Alison takes them to the Fitzgerald Theater...that's right, as in Ezra Fitzgerald...where we're treated to a flashback between the two when Ezra brought Alison there one night, confessing it as one of his special place. Alison mused about how she could be an actress, and Ezra toldher she already was one, lying so convincingly that he felt she even believed them at times. He called her his Holly Golightly and the moment was ruined when a janitor called Ezra "Mr. Fitzgerald" and blew his poor boy cover. Ali admitted she liked him more for that...for being able to trick her( again, affections...Rosewood...odd).

The girls get hungry and raid the concession stand while reminiscing over an old show they watched together and we got a glimpse of vulnerable Ali, as she wasn't around during the time so she was left out of the convo. In an attempt to cover her feelings she snaps that she needs to go make a call somewhere more private. The others know better than to just let her wander off, so they follow but can't get close enough to hear what she's saying.

As it turns out, Ali called Shana to go keep watch over Aria at the hospital. Aria isn't a fan but is soon asleep and Shana disappears. When she wakes, she goes to Ezra's room and finds Shana there. Soon after, Ezra regains consciousness and immediately flips his shit. Aria calls for help and the girls leave his room.

As Alison sleeps at the theater, the girls talk about life how life will be without -A, but soon they all check out. A gloved hand grabs Alison and it's revealed to be Cece. She came straight there after escaping the police station and needs a favor from Ali...She really did kill Wilden and now she needs to leave the country using Ali's Vivian Darkbloom passport, since the girls resemble each other so closely. The two meet up with Noel (huh!?) at a diner nearby and make the exchange and soon Cece's on her way.

When we check back in on Mona, it's no longer just she and Lucas, but Paige and a few others that Ali tormented and are less than thrilled that she's back. Mona's trying to recruit all the help she can get and just as Paige is about to peace out, Melissa walks in

Whatever these 3 have in store should be interesting, and I'm glad Paige decided to stay to see what that is.

As Ali returned from her meeting with Cece and Noel, Emily caught her and forced her to cough up some information because she's Sassy Emily now. Ali confessed that -A put Em in the box in Rosewood and Cece helped distract them so that Ali could save her. Cece was always on Alison's side and Ezra only paid her for information. Emily reminds Ali that they're all in this together, but it seems that Ali will always insist on keeping her secrets.

Ezra has regained consciousness at the hospital and he has just enough energy to whisper an inaudible warning into Aria's ear and she rushed off to call and tell her friends.

Detective Beauty Mark has been busy trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together in Rosewood, and found out about Ezra's connection to the Fitzgerald Theater and called the house line, and since the girls were expecting Aria's call at that moment, Alison picked up. When Aria called back, no one answered and shortly after in walks Shana...in a black hoodie with a gun pointed in Ali's face:

Shana gives her "Yeah I'm a traitor" speech, revealing that she was at the lodge the night of the fire and that she ended up switching real teams when she ended up switching sexual teams...she'd fallen in love with Jenna. Just as Shana was about to pull the trigger, Aria (aka Self-Defense Barbie) ran in gun a-blazing. Aria knocks Shana off the stage and Shana falls to her death below.

Welcome back readers! I've missed you all and I hope you'll stick with me through this season because I feel like we may need one another to lean on...a lot.

Leave your thoughts about last night's premiere in the comments below!

About the Author - Jasmine Alyce

Jasmine Alyce is the Associate Editor/Reporter for Fanbolt.com and Social Media Manager for LNP Studios.

Jasmine graduated from Georgia State University in 2009 with her BA in Broadcast Journalism and considers herself an entertainment news/ pop culture connoisseur :)