6.02 - "SONGS OF INNOCENCE"
Directed by Norman Buckley
Written by Joseph Dougherty
Reviewed by Gavin Hetherington
SEASON GUIDE
Click on an episode title to be taken to the review of the episode. Episodes 1-13 were reviewed by Jasmine Alyce.
5.01 - "
EscApe From New York" (June 10, 2014)
5.02 - "
Whirly Girlie" (June 17, 2014)
5.03 - "
Surfing the Aftershocks" (June 24, 2014)
5.04 - "
Thrown From the Ride" (July 1, 2014)
5.05 - "
Miss Me x 100" (July 8, 2014)
5.06 - "
Run, Ali, Run" (July 15, 2014)
5.07 - "
The Silence of E. Lamb" (July 22, 2014)
5.08 - "
Scream For Me" (July 29, 2014)
5.09 - "
March of Crimes" (August 5, 2014)
5.10 - "
A Dark Ali" (August 12, 2014)
5.11 - "
No One Here Can Love or Understand Me" (August 19, 2014)
5.12 - "
Taking This One to the Grave" (August 26, 2014)
5.13 - "
How the 'A' Stole Christmas" (December 9, 2014)
5.14 - "
Through a Glass, Darkly" (January 6, 2015)
5.15 - "
Fresh Meat" (January 13, 2015)
5.16 - "
Over a Barrel" (January 20, 2015)
5.17 - "
The Bin of Sin" (January 27, 2015)
5.18 - "
Oh, What Hard Luck Stories They All Hand Me" (February 3, 2015)
5.19 - "
Out, Damned Spot" (February 10, 2015)
5.20 - "
Pretty Isn't the Point" (February 17, 2015)
5.21 - "
Bloody Hell" (February 24, 2015)
5.22 - "
To Plea or Not to Plea" (March 3, 2015)
5.23 - "
The Melody Lingers On" (March 10, 2015)
5.24 - "
I'm a Good Girl, I Am" (March 17, 2015)
5.25 - "
Welcome to the Dollhouse" (March 24, 2015)
Click on a title to be taken to the review for that episode. Episodes 6-8 were reviewed by Kate Sidwell.
6.01 - "
Game On, Charles" (June 2, 2015)
6.02 - "
Songs of Innocence" (June 9, 2015)
6.03 - "
Songs of Experience" (June 16, 2015)
6.04 - "
Don't Look Now" (June 23, 2015)
6.05 - "
She's No Angel" (June 30, 2015)
6.06 - "
No Stone Unturned" (July 14, 2015)
6.07 - "
O Brother, Where Art Thou" (July 21, 2015)
6.08 - "
FrAmed" (July 28, 2015)
6.09 - "
Last Dance" (August 4, 2015)
6.10 - "
Game Over, Charles" (August 11, 2015)
6.11 - "
Of Late I Think of Rosewood" (January 12, 2016)
6.12 - "
Charlotte's Web" (January 19, 2016)
6.13 - "
The Gloves Are On" (January 26, 2016)
6.14 - "
New Guys, New Lies" (February 2, 2016)
6.15 - "
Do Not Disturb" (February 9, 2016)
6.16 - "
Where Somebody Waits For Me" (February 16, 2016)
6.17 - "
We've All Got Baggage" (February 23, 2016)
6.18 - "
Burn This" (March 1, 2016)
6.19 - "
Did You Miss Me?" (March 8, 2016)
6.20 - "
Hush... Hush, Sweet Liars" (March 15, 2016)
The girls wake up in a morgue-like room of the Dollhouse. Alison gets in front of the cameras to trick A into leading her to the girls. Charles keeps Mona in a well while the girls burn Charles' memory room. Alison, Ezra and Caleb find the girls at just the right time. The police find Sara Harvey in the Dollhouse. Toby tells Spencer that it's Andrew who was after them after he became obsessed with them since Alison went missing. The girls find out that A's name is Charles DiLaurentis. Emily asks Alison who Charles DiLaurentis is.
'SONGS OF INNOCENCE' REVIEW
Following the insanely good premiere, the follow-up didn't deliver the intense action like its predecessor. And that's okay. This episode was much needed to dial back the 8.0 richter scale of the premiere in order to show us the mental anguish the girls now feel. Nobody sane comes out of their situation without scars and fortunately this episode helped us understand the girls a little better and what it is they're going through. It's important to note that Mona was missing from this episode, which is a huge disappointment to me as I really wanted to see her. I also can't wait for Alison and Mona to come face-to-face and see how they interact now things have transpired. I also really, really wanted to see the moment the parents were reunited with their children. 3 weeks is a long time knowing your child is in danger so this was a little off-putting when their reactions weren't as... urgent as I thought they would be. Like, it took throughout the episode for us to realise the parents weren't sure how to deal with this problem, and fraction by fraction we started to see the communication between mother and daughter establish itself. I'm also frustrated that Aria's dad is still MIA, and we all know Hanna's dad is a useless tool anyway, I mean so what if your daughter gets kidnapped and is missing for nearly a month. Also, where is Spencer's dad? It seems like all male figures were stripped from this episode and we only really got the mother and daughter bond. We only saw Alison's father and he was as much use as a chocolate fireguard.
"You would have done the same for me."
Let's start with Alison then. Alison has matured a lot since going through her trial and prison ordeal. I was beginning to lose trust in her and I didn't like the kind of person she was at the time (she seemed very sneaky and quick to replace her friends) but so far in season 6, she's been incredible. I love this Alison! When her father said she had no obligation to do what she did to save the girls, her blunt response of "Yes. I did." was worthy of a standing ovation. I also found her little interaction with Toby very off-putting though and it seemed hella awkward. I know things have happened between the two in the past to put them off each other, but maybe we'll see some development between the two, especially now that Alison's potential love interest is Toby's partner Lorenzo. It was bound to happen at some point and Lorenzo seems like a nice guy, which is exactly why I'm already suspicious of him. Call me crazy but I'm not jumping on the Loralison/Allenzo bandwagon just yet. Let's see where he goes from here.
"I wanted to take him apart because of what he did to you."
Toby seems to be returning to his former self now that Tanner isn't pulling his strings. I like it. I'm still not over the time it took for him to become a fully-fledged police officer complete with a partner and a car, but I'm starting to warm up to the possibilities this storyline gives him, especially now Lorenzo is in the picture. The whole Andrew-is-dead theory was quickly abolished in this episode, which is partly a shame as I did like the theories that were posted relating to Andrew. I liked that he wanted five minutes with Andrew when he caught him. He'll do anything to avenge his love, Spencer, and I find that insanely romantic. So speaking of Andrew, what did Toby mean that Andrew thought the girls were a representation of the feminisation of society? Is Andrew angry that girls really do run the world? Girls have more power than they did 50 years ago? What is his deal? He started the show so loveable, now he's a sexist creep. The girls saying that he could be Charles DiLaurentis - you're wrong. Never believe the Liars when they come up with a theory because they end up unintentionally lying. It's rarely right. This isn't
Scooby-Doo where Velma always says she knew it all along. They're not gonna know anything until it's laid out in front of them spelled out in permanent magic marker.
"I'm gonna say this as delicately as I can... your father's a liar."
Poor Spencer. In fact, poor everyone. I'm gonna start with Spencer first though. It's through Spencer that we get our first flashback revealing the kind of torture the girls went through. I really did not expect that the girls were forced to torture each other, I was really shocked at that. How brutal but insanely amazing at the same time as it opens up so many more doors to go through this season. We see with Hanna the kind of resentment that is directed at the others, or guilt as in Aria's case when she tells Spencer she's sorry out of nowhere. At first, when Spencer arrived home and Veronica had removed the pills to help Spencer sleep, we think it's the same old un-caring parents we thought Spencer had in the early days of the show. But I can totally side with Veronica on the pills situation. Spencer did have a problem with drugs and Veronica has just got her daughter back, safe and sound. Why she would allow her daughter to potentially harm herself and ruin her future because of her terrible ordeal is very understandable. Obviously it's hard because Spencer went through an awful experience and now she can't sleep - and who can blame her - but Veronica is really just thinking about what will be best for her daughter in the long run. I'm liking that Spencer is having more scenes with Toby now too and it feels more like how they were before he got his police job. More of this please, and less angst between the two, although I know it's going to be a rocky road since Spencer stole some of Aria's drugs and is most likely going to start using them. I do hope she can take them without getting addicted, but who knows what road the writers will go down with her. The episode ended a little sweet with Spencer and her mother going to watch a movie together. It's what was needed after the emotional turmoil the viewer (as in us) went through. I still can't get the girls' screams out of my head from the flashbacks.
"It has to be Andrew!"
Aria was an interesting one to watch in this episode, mainly because her turmoil has resulted in her acting out in a way that could have repercussions since she lied to the police about seeing Andrew's face. I love that she wanted to fight. Early on, she's already displaying signs of moving on from the trauma, or trying very hard to, as she jokes to her mother "too early for sarcasm?" I love this and it makes me respect Aria so much more now. She's not letting herself be destroyed by what happened to her, which led to the amazing quote I've given the Best Line Award. We all know she's wrong and Andrew isn't to blame for the dollhouse or anything A-related, but she knows he's a bad guy in hers and the girls' lives and she tries to do what she can to put a stop to it, even if it meant lying. It's what the pretty little liars do best, after all. Loved the Ella/Aria dynamic in this episode, especially since Ella was basically by her side (or within close distance) throughout the episode and could just tell when her daughter was being honest. It's clear lying is weighing heavily on Aria's mind when she tells Spencer about it, but she's intent on Charles being Andrew. "It has to be Andrew." She's so ready to know who is tormenting them that she'll believe anyone is A at this point. Her insistence that it is Andrew is quite heartbreaking too as it shows that fractured mind she has where reason is put aside for potential solace from her agonising ordeals. Aria is never usually considered my favourite but I think she's going to be the one to watch in 6A. Let's just hope her father hasn't completely abandoned her and that we see more of Ella.
"I said don't look at him!"
My poor sweet Hanna. Right from her first solo scene away from the girls, we knew she had been hit the hardest. As another note, I loved the little flashes to their fake rooms when the girls returned to their real rooms. I also loved Hanna's distinction that the room in the dollhouse was not her room. She's displaying some denial about what happened while also desperate to move on from it by trying to remove the memories completely from her room. Hanna had some of the best scenes in this episode too, such as when she got Caleb to help bring furniture downstairs and her mother walked in (so much for Hanna staying in your sights, Ashley!) and they have that scene - Ashley looking at Caleb and Hanna telling her to not look at him but to look at her - was so much. I couldn't deal. It was so true to Hanna's character too and that's what I love about this episode - the reactions, the trauma - it's all very real. My favourite moment was when Hanna was with her mother in her room and she's sitting on her floor and she tells Ashley the games Charles made them play. So much authenticity in Ashley Benson's voice and the revelation that she doesn't have to spend every minute with the girls was heartbreaking. I would love for this resentment to progress as it would be an interesting avenue to explore. It would require the girls to meet up and be honest and maybe lead to an explosive scene, though judging by the end of the episode, maybe the girls did talk everything out over the phone? I hope not. I want more drama where this is concerned. Loved Caleb's scenes with Hanna too and how much he was there for her. "Have I ever told you I think you're the bravest person I've ever met?" I love how Hanna can be honest with him, especially about her friends. Not wanting to let her night stand go is the first good step for Hanna - means she's not ready to let go of everything just yet.There's hope.
"You mean there isn't any more bad people out there? Nobody who's ever going to hurt anybody again?"
Emily won the Prettiest Little Liar award in this episode for a couple of reasons. Firstly, she showed her awesome bad-ass side in this episode with the gun range storyline. Who knew she could shoot a gun like that? She was so good, and the perfect defence (and offence) against Charles, Uber A and any other prick that wants to take the girls down. The other reason I loved Emily so much in this episode were her scenes with Pam, specifically when she broke down crying. I sobbed my little heart out with her and she was actually the most emotional out of the girls despite perceiving herself as the strongest with wanting to be able to defend herself and her friends. I was relieved to know Emily phoned Paige and Paige offered to come back. I wouldn't have believed for a second that Paige wouldn't have contacted Emily somehow so I'm glad that was addressed. I'd love for Paige to come back, just to see what would happen now so much time has passed since she's been away. But anyway, Emily's speech to her mother that I quoted above was so deep. She's totally right and it could foreshadow the fact that no matter who the girls take down, there's always going to be someone next in line. I find that chilling, but what a scene for Shay Mitchell. Totally, props to her for being a fine actress and handled the material brilliantly. Damn girl, stop making me cry!
EPISODE VERDICT
I wasn't expecting an absolutely out-of-this-world follow-up to last week's awesome premiere and I can absolutely settle for this slower-paced outing of Pretty Little Liars. I liked that we got to explore the emotional and mental states of the girls rather than have it jam-packed with action so we wouldn't know where to look. The actresses handled the material so well too, showing that they all have what it takes to go through this crazy rollercoaster journey of Pretty Little Liars and make it believable for the audience. Interesting things are being set up now and themes such as resentment amongst friends and hidden agendas are coming back in full force as we get ever-closer to knowing who Charles really is. Thanks for letting us explore the characters a little, but I would like to see more of the time the girls were away as well as what the families/friends/boyfriends were doing it that time too.
EPISODE AWARDS
Prettiest Little Liar: Emily Fields. Her need to defend following their ordeal is very admirable.
Most Macho Male: Toby, for chasing Andrew, catching him and wanting to string him up by his testicles.
Biggest Asshole: Alison's dad. He knows more than he's letting on.
Most Sympathetic Character: Hanna Marin. I could really feel her pain.
Favourite Episode Pairing: Hanna and Caleb.
Best Line: "I don't want to own it, I don't want to memorialise it, I don't want to think about it being in a diary somewhere in my room. I want a nice big wall between before and after." - Aria to Ezra about writing down what happened to her.
Funniest Line: N/A.
Best Moment: Hanna in her room, talking to Ashley about how Charles would make them play games.
Saddest Moment: Emily breaking down to her mother.
Creepiest Moment: The flashbacks.
Shadiest Moment: Sara at the beginning, "now you know what happens to bad little girls." Cryptic and creepy. Also, she ran away from home and Pam shouldn't call her mother? Something's not right there.
Damned Disappointment: We didn't get to see the parents' reunion with the girls, also, why didn't we get Mona?
Biggest Question Mark Award: Lorenzo - is he a good guy? I'm just really suspicious of new people.
Biggest ReveAl: Charles didn't torture the girls... they tortured each other!
A's Mysteries
MISS_JILLYB's THEORY OF SARA HARVEY
There's something not right with Sara Harvey, which is something I think a lot of people can agree on. Within this episode, we see some shady things happen regarding Sara. The beginning where Emily talks to her was creepy as with her line about what happens to bad little girls, and then her reappearance at the end when she ran away from home (again) but doesn't want Pam to phone her mother, and that she wouldn't get through anyway. Just what is Sara Harvey hiding?
One of the best people to follow on Twitter for everything
Pretty Little Liars is
Miss_JillyB. She has an awesome theory about Sara Harvey that I wanted to share with you guys because I'm just not as creative when it comes to thinking of these things.
What do you guys think? Is Sara really Bethany in disguise? Or do you have a different PLL theory for Sara Harvey?
What did you think of 'Songs of Innocence'? Let me know your thoughts on the episode in the comments and be sure to watch the next new episode on June 16 on ABC Family!
About the Author - Gavin Hetherington
Award-winning author of 'Abyssal Sanctuary: Remnants of the Damned'. Gavin joined SpoilerTV in August 2014 and reviews 2 Broke Girls, Mistresses, Orange is the New Black, Pretty Little Liars, Salem, Scream Queens and Sleepy Hollow. Gavin will write previews for Devious Maids and Shadowhunters, and backs-up Empire, The Flash, iZombie, Once Upon a Time, Reign, Scandal and Supergirl. You can contact him at gavin@spoilertv.com.
Yay or nay? I enjoyed this episode as we took a step back to look at the girls' complex issues. Let me know what you guys thought of the episode!
ReplyDeleteGreat review Gavin! Sadly won't be able to watch th episode till next Thursday but sounds like a huge rollercoaster.
ReplyDeleteUnbeliebavle how time passes, 7 weeks away from the big reveal. Time is flying bye. #excited
Thanks Spindae2 for commenting, even though you haven't seen the episode yet. I really hope you enjoy it. Not action-packed like the premiere but it allows us to analyse the characters we know and love and adds a new layer to them. Time really is flying by and it's going to be one heck of a ride! Can't wait, it's time to get some answers, definitely!
ReplyDeleteIn regards to Sarah/Bethany, Bryan Holdman seemed to confirm on twitter that she is in fact Sarah.
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/BryanHoldman/status/608486878229045248
Also, same comments I made in the 'what did you think of' thread:
- That cop in the intro is so new. "Not gonna happen! Do your job!". Hey new guy, to fit into Rosewood PD you need to be a terrible cop, not a good one.
- Does no one understand that the girls were trapped in replica's of their rooms? Their rooms will trigger things...in fact, wheres the counseling? Why are they just being heavily medicated?
- Aria lost her purple streak, did the hospital use some magic to remove it?
- What is this weird unspoken creepiness between Ali and Toby? Oh who am I kidding, this is PLL. They probably slept together while searching for the girls.
- The Marin household only has 2 bedrooms? Really?....REALLY?
- "How does a high school boy afford all of that?" - FINALLY SOMEONE ASKED!
- Aria, haven't you learnt by now that lying is wrong? Look at all the trouble it's caused you already.
- So many parents...they finally realized that they should be checking on their kids
- Emily had a Mulan moment.
- Wait...Emily knew how to use guns THE ENTIRE TIME?! I'm totally against guns but considering what A has done...girl...you've had multiple chances to shoot the bastard in seasons 3 and 4.
I'm a spoiler fanatic so even though I pledged not to watch shows while my exams are on, I still read reviews and watch promos. I can't give up on everything. Lol.
ReplyDeleteI mean they are setting up the story for the girls to depart in a really great way. I look forward to see how things will eventually pan out and how they will reconnect when 6B starts. I assume a death will bring them back together.
It's understandable that you can't cut everything out. You've got to have your own life outside of studies, right? What better way than to live vicariously through shows. It's what I do after all :P
ReplyDeleteA death would be interesting if this death will stick haha. If someone else turns out to not be dead after all, I'm gonna stop believing this show isn't a fantasy.
Ahh sucks about that, but at the same time, people associated with the show always tweet things they don't mean. Marlene King is the main culprit for that.
ReplyDeleteLove your comments! Good points, and yeah where is the support for these girls instead of just being thrust back into their rooms that will likely trigger something. Of course though, just fill them up with drugs, it solves everything! I actually did wonder where her purple streak went when I was watching the episode and wrote it in my notes but forgot to write it in the review, but that is crazy. Surely putting dye on her hair wasn't the first thing they wanted to do when they admitted her into the hospital, so where did it go? Was it just an extension?
I noticed how weird Alison and Toby were together and with you mentioning they probably slept together, could you imagine how catastrophic that would be? OMG I don't think I could comprehend it. I mean they've never liked each other right, so I can understand why Toby would be chilly towards her but after what they've been through, he might have shown some compassion. She did help find the girls. What did go on?
Emily's Mulan moment, love it! You have the best thoughts for the show. Thanks for sharing them with me, you should totally do a review for PLL. You would be so awesome at it!
Double LoL.
ReplyDeleteI mean I can't have a real social life while studying cause I would feel guilty so I have to read stuff and follow tennis matches. ^_^
Death became so irrelevant in PLL that even VD is laughing at them. ^_^ Honestly it is a bit of a stretch that all the liars are alive. I love them all but they could certainly raise the stakes + I wanna see Shay play Jasmine if Ouat ever goes there. ^_^
Great review! It was a good episode, focused on the characters and their emotional journey. Great how each one of the girls develop different types of dealing with what happened to them. Totally creepy and disgusting how A made them torture each other. I´m really loving Ali, her interactions with lorenzo have been very good, I´ve enjoyed them, but, as you say, he´s too nice, he´s got secrets hehe. Why wasn´t Mona in the episode? I´m curiosed to see how she´s dealing with wht happened. Next week´s episode will have more A information, this was a necessary episode for the girls, but I´m ready for the actual A plot to develop :P
ReplyDeleteTotally understand the guilt thing while studying. Been there done that. Not a great feeling I must admit. Haha VD really is laughing at them :P I would absolutely totally love to see Shay Mitchell as Jasmine. I love her and I think she'd be awesome in the part. I really hope OUaT will introduce them, though I think they're focusing on the legend of King Arthur at the minute which could be interesting.
ReplyDeleteYay thanks for reading :D It's so messed up what A did to them, I still can't really get over it. So evil yet so smart on A's part - just who thinks of this stuff?! It's so sick. Ali has been awesome this season so far, glad I'm not the only one who thinks that. I'd love to know why Mona wasn't present in this episode. Maybe she took things very hard and had to stay in the hospital a little longer and was too damaged to see anyone but her mother. Her mum must have been so happy to see her. This is why I wanted initial parent reaction because Mona's mum thought she was dead! I want to see her face the moment she sees she's alive with her own eyes! Bring on the A development! :D
ReplyDeleteHonestly I hope they are stalling with Aladin and Princess and the Frog cause they intend to do another spin off and use those characters.
ReplyDeleteAnd it is good that they aren't doing Aladin now cause that leaves Shay enough time to wrap up PLL. ^_^ (all the wishfull thoughts of a tvfanatic )
Haha if I review PLL it'd probably be a gripe review and I'd be pointing out the oddities XD
ReplyDelete"Why would you take away medication from a girl who spent a month kidnapped and probably has crazy PTSD. Child abuse!"
"The Marin house only has 2 bedrooms? SO WHERE WAS EMILY SLEEPING WHEN SHE STAYED WITH THEM?! The pipe burst back then...have they really gone over a year without fixing the pipes in the Marin house?"
"Toby has a partner now? And he's the superior officer? TOBY YOUR LIKE 19! STAHP!"
"These Haleb moments...remember when they were addicted to alcohol together? Why hasn't Hannah relapsed. Girl should be drinking herself silly."
"Who is A??? Charles!"
"Who is Charles??? CHARLIE!"
"Emily is already creeping on the new girl. Control your hormones girl!"
"Did Sasha piss off the gays in the PLL hairdressing and clothing department? Her highlights and clothes get worse every episode. She's looking more and more like Jessica every single scene!"
"Face it Lorenzo, you transferred to Rosewood because apparently you can hit on and sleep with underage girls without any problem. This is Rosewood after all..."
Thanks for the review :) I really loved this episode, it was much better than the premiere I thought. There were a few things I thought were silly like Charles being Andrew? The dude is way taller and more heavily built than the guy they saw, even with PTSD they'd know that straight away, they may be in denial about a few things but they aren't stupid. Then there was when Caleb had to tell Hanna's mother that the bed was in the hall and the camera changed angle and her bed was literally right beside them. I also have a really hard time believing Alison has no problem getting all friendly with a random stranger who shows up in town and just happen to be Toby's partner.
ReplyDeleteAnyway enough nitpicking, there was plenty more I loved about it. Mainly the flashbacks to what happened to the girls and how it's effecting them now. The acting didn't disappoint either, they were all very good. I loved the clashing some of them had with their parents as well. I really hope they don't go down the addiction route with Spencer again, that's been, no need to do it again. I can't wait to see more of what happened to them in the dollhouse and the fallout from it.
Hahaha that would be hilarious to read a full review of. I would totally be up for a Pretty Little Liars Gripe Review to happen on SpoilerTV. Is it just Supernatural that is allowed one? My friend texted me during the episode saying "why is Alison wearing old people clothes for" haha is the actress pregnant or something and she's trying to hide it with clothes that are quite flow-y?
ReplyDeleteThat's true, surely Shay would be able to do both as I wouldn't imagine she'd have to give up too much time for OUaT. I mean the actress who plays Mulan has hardly been in it, same with Aurora. Otherwise we'd have to wait for Once to reach Season 7 in 2017 when Pretty Little Liars ends. I can't wait that long for Aladdin, and that's assuming Once hasn't ended by then.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if other shows are allowed a gripe review haha XD
ReplyDeleteTheirs rumors that she's pregnant but they haven't been confirmed. Some people on reddit were thinking they're dressing her funky to hide the pregnancy signs.
She's the youngest cast member on a teen show so they probably don't want some people spinning it in a weird direction.
Thanks for reading. I love that you thought it was better than the premiere. It was certainly better in some regards in terms of character development and the writing felt tighter.
ReplyDeleteHaha I didn't notice the bed thing, that's so funny I'm gonna go back and have a look! You have a point about Alison. Maybe she doesn't trust him and that's why she's going to get close to him - to find out who he is and what he wants. Could be all part of her game. Alison should be the poster child for not trusting strangers.
The flashbacks were awesome, hopefully we get more of them in 6A. The girls were so good in this acting-wise, all of them believable and different and showed us why we should still love PLL. I hope they don't go the addiction route again, and same with Hanna if she starts drinking again which I hope she doesn't.
Ahh glad it's something that's already been said as I'd feel so rude if I thought she was pregnant and she isn't :P You have a point about her being the youngest cast member in a teen show and the spin. I hope if she does turn out to be pregnant, it isn't something that gets a lot of heat as she is 19 and if she's happy and everything, then it shouldn't be frowned upon. Gotta have a life outside of work!
ReplyDeletePLL will wrap up shooting by the end of 2016. But I agree Aladin and Jasmine should appear soon as there really aren't that many popular tales to explore.
ReplyDeleteWe'll have to wait and see what they will do. ^^ Excited for Pll's finish run and Once's upcoming season(s).
There's so much I want Once Upon a Time to explore, such as Aladdin and Hercules and I would love to see Yzma from Emperor's New Groove as she's hilarious haha. I'm absolutely Disney mad so i hope Once will keep running long enough for all my favourite fairy tales and Disney classics to appear :D I also want Cinderella back and an appearance from Lady Tremaine!
ReplyDeleteI don't think they really tortured each other. Remember A likes to play games. He made it seem like they were torturing each other, by making them choose A gets to see whose more important to each of them. Having to pick and hearing a scream, I don't think the screams were real, it was all psychological.
ReplyDeleteOh wow, that kind of blew my mind thinking about haha great theory. I honestly don't know what to say other than that would be such a cruel trick to play on the girls. I'm gonna look back at it and see. It was suspicious how, when Emily was in the chair having to pick, the countdown ran out and she hadn't picked anyone yet. The voice said all of them would suffer but there was no screaming when the clock ran out, only when Emily pressed the button. Maybe the buttons really were just activating a recording of them screaming rather than actually shocking them at that moment. We really need more flashbacks to understand what really happened. Thanks for leaving your thoughts!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't want Once to force it to much, that's why I proposed a spin off. I mean for how long can they mess with Emma's and Regina's life? Better start a new story with other Disney characters.
ReplyDeleteCinderella, Aurora and Red were terrible handled, not to mention Rapunzel. They should've used a "big" princess every season or arc and explore her story instead of run this fast past them.
But what is done is done. Maybe another time.
I would love another spin-off. I did enjoy Wonderland but there were some things the show could have done right, as well as ABC in putting out the show. Once has squandered a lot of potential in storylines and characters, and got other things right. It's an imperfect show that we still love :D Let's hope it's onwards and upwards, and I really want Red to come back, as well as the others that have just vanished.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't action packed like the premiere but dealt with with the aftermath in a beautiful way-very unlike PLL.I loved it.I could feel all the girl's pain.Good job writers!
ReplyDeleteAwesome review as always,Gavin :)
Thanks Joy! Yeah, if they kept throwing new troubles at the girls right after that premiere, it would have been far too much for the girls, and for us, to handle. Such an emotive episode to make us feel for them. Totally agree, pain was felt from each of them. It's kind of like Walking Dead in a way. They have the big episodes that really test the characters, then we have to explore the aftermath and that can be boring to some people. Not to me. I love adding complex dimensions to my favourite characters. It makes it much easier to understand and analyse them, see them as real people. PLL needed this episode. It re-aligns us with our own connection to the Liars :)
ReplyDeleteI wrote a piece on my blog about What went wrong with Wonderland. I think the main issue was the lack of connection to the main story, people weren't really interested in. Wonderland's story and cast deserved much better development. Overall a 2nd spin off would need more focus and should happen when Once is coming to an end or at least near the end.
ReplyDeleteAs U said Once is an imperfect show but has so much soul and love that it's hypnotizing. I can't get enough from the show. Yesterday I hyperventilated when the casting calls came out.
Great review Gavin as always, The episode was still great in the grand scheme of things but was a lot slower in pace than the previous episode which is to be expected. I really enjoyed exploring the girls reactions post dollhouse and loved Hanna's reactions to her bedroom (I would of totally redecorated too) Also the reveal about how Charles made them play games was very cryptic and creepy meaning more of that will definately be revealed which i cant wait to see. I loved Emily stepping up her game and going to the shooting range I definately wouldnt mess with her, I love seeing the stronger side to Emily. One thing that is kinda bugging me is how the mothers of the girls are behaving (with the exception of Ashley) they seem very distant especially Veronica and the way she was with Spencer, I Know she had a problem with drugs in the past but surely Veronica could help Spencer with that after all she'd been through, I would of expected a lot more sympathy from them since there daughters have been missing for like a month and i agree that had they shown the initial reunion with the parents they might not appear as harsh but that's my only real critique of the episode, I'm excited with the season so far and think we are well on the way to finally getting the answers we've wanted for all these years.
ReplyDeleteThis season writing is noticeably improved IMO.I guess they are trying to make up for last season.
ReplyDeleteOne thing though-I don't trust this Lorenzo guy at all.I can't believe Alison's father lied like that point blank.All the BFs of the girls are going to have a rough time this season,at least in the 1st half looks like.I felt so bad for Caleb or Ezra for that matter.All they did was try to help.Aria remains the most naive amongst the team as uaul.Her false testimony sealed the deal.Andrew is not going to stay to jail,thanks to Aria.And where on earth is Byron?Why don't we see him anymore.Can you remind me what happened to Aria's brother Mike last season-Where did he end up?
Thanks so much for reading and leaving your thoughts Mark! Haha yeah, we'd totally get rid of everything in our bedrooms, it's gotta go! Though what would we do about our awesome Blu-ray collections ;) Totally agree on Veronica. We can understand why she would take the drugs away but she kind of just left Spencer floating on her own with no support or help. She didn't really help at all, which is strange considering her big role in last season's finale in trying to find her daughter. She needs to make her mind up of what kind of mother she wants to be.
ReplyDeleteWriting has definitely become tighter and now the show has a goal to work towards whereas season 5 floundered a bit.
ReplyDeleteLorenzo is definitely not to be trusted. Trust nobody in Rosewood unless they give you reason to. Aria is still very naive but I'm glad she wanted to help in whatever way she could instead of letting her ordeal get the better of her. I can understand where she is coming from as she clings to the hope that it was Andrew who is behind it, otherwise it means the culprit is still out there. But it still wasn't the right thing to do. Byron is always MIA which is strange because the actor is usually on set considering how he is an occasional director for the show. Mike is still around. Last we saw of him, I think it was when he was beat up by A and Ezra and Caleb took him to the police station. He should still be around. I'm guessing episode 7 will involve him maybe, judging by the title? I want to see his reaction to Mona being alive too. So much I want to see, I hope they deliver.
Thanks for including some of the ideas that I came up with in your episode awards section :)
ReplyDeleteYou had some really great suggestions, of course I added them :D
ReplyDeleteIt was decent but it could've been so much better. Where was Mona? Why couldn't we see the girls reunite with their families?
ReplyDeleteI haven't watched this show in a while and thought both Ali and Caleb looked awful, but for different reasons. Did this show get a new stylist or something?
ReplyDeleteThe two questions you posted there were both the most disappointing aspects of the episode that I gave the disappointment award to haha, totally agree!
ReplyDeleteHmm I actually don't know if they've changed stylists. Not sure how to find out either.
ReplyDeleteHaha I don't blame you for your love for the show as I really am in love with it. Despite its faults, it's still one of my favourites :) I agree with you on Wonderland. I'm pretty sure they'll do the next spin-off justice.
ReplyDeleteHonestly aria seemed the LEAST affected by the Dollhouse, not like the rest where you could their PTSD creeping through.
ReplyDeleteIn Teen Wolf LOL
ReplyDeleteVery cruel trick, maybe a way to try to break their spirits and break down their friendship. You know what they always say, safety in numbers, if the girls are not together all the time anymore, they are easier to get to.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see what he's like in it.
ReplyDeleteHe's not a killer at least, his wolf eyes aren't blue.
ReplyDeleteThank you lm just glad the show is back on track ,this season is really good l hope it stays that way.
ReplyDeleteCinderella, Aurora , Rapunzel and Red were terrible handled , l totally agree.
ReplyDeleteRapunzel was the worst though l thought the actor was okay but they wrote out Mother Gothl and no Flynn , the episode was basically about Charming .
Season 1 did a better job with this , the Cinderella episode was done well but l hated what happened to her after same with Red her origin episode was good but the show lost it after.
Whats the blogs name l'd love to read it.
ReplyDeletehttps://mytvexperience.wordpress.com/2014/07/04/what-went-wrong-ouat-in-wonderland/
ReplyDeleteI hope U enjoy it. ^^
I really agree the show squandered a lot of potential but l still love it , Im confused about how Aladdin will be done now if ever and if Will presence on ONCE means they are going there soon , so many questions lm not sure the writers know either.
ReplyDeleteProducers,I think they knew how the show would start and recently they said they now know how the show will end but they dont know anything about the middle Frozen was a big example of phoning it in though it ultimately as a whole worked better than the second half which suffered from poor villains l liked Maleficent more this time but Cruella gets the cake for being one of the show most memorable villains she was evil to the core.
And Ursula urrrhhhh Disney's Ursula would literally go WTH, how many times are they going to say shes the fake Ursula we already had two l cant take one more unless they are planing to go Greek gods Hercules and include her then l don't get it.
Rapunzel was so badly handled and was such a poor plot device that I can't even think about it.
ReplyDeleteThat is why I think it would've been better to save the "big" princesses up for unique arcs. Make their story and impact more memorable. Aurora was used well, but in her big 9 episode run we didn't get a flashback what was poor decision making.
So I hope they won't call on Jasmine, Pochahontas or Tiana if they won't have bigger impacts for the show overall.
I get you thinking about what they did leaves a bad taste in my mouth at least they got Ariel right that would have made me go crazy.
ReplyDeleteI agree about Aurora. She disappeared for the rest of the season and only appeared at the end in one scene with Mulan.
I enjoyed it , l agree the show was pretty messy in the middle and got good too late.
ReplyDeleteThe lack of connection in ONCE was weird and probably turned some viewers off it more.
There actually is a gripe review on betcheslovethis, (http://www.betcheslovethis.com/article/pretty-little-liars-recap-songs-of-innocence)
ReplyDeleteand FYI, Emily and Hannah shared a room didn't they?
Thanks for that :)
ReplyDeleteWhen Emily stayed with them she stayed in the guest room until a pipe burst. Then she shared Hannah's room. (Season 2 episode 7)