Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists - Season Finale - Review: "Professor A" + POLL

Previously on PLLTP:

Who is the mystery villain manipulating behind the scenes and spying on a select group of people, or as you and I might know them, "A"? Who killed Nolan, and what did Jeremy have to do with it? How will the liar perfectionists get away with covering up Taylor shooting him in cold blood? This is a finale that has so much going on for it before it even starts and with the ending of the Perfectionists' freshman chapter, we're left with even more new mysteries to keep us up at night instead of any answers but that's exactly where all the fun is.

Recap: Perfectionists

In the worst semester of their lives the perfectionists finally get a (brief) break as they plan their futures. Is it still fall? I know time moves differently in the PLL cinematic universe so I'm assuming they're still in their first semester.The only one who's happy Jeremy made it out alive is Caitlin, everyone else is realising the threat he poses to their alibi and Dana's already on the scene taking statements before you can even say fancy a cuppa tea gov'na? Their big lie is a good one because it's true for the most part and it finally gives Dana a real suspect.

Claire informs the group that that Taylor's been shipped off to the psych retreat and offers her sincerest apologies for tormenting them. If they weren't all lying and conspiring in a murder investigation they definitely could sue her but for now they're all relieved she's calling Dana off. After Alison taunted her for getting "an A for effort" all Dana can do is quit her job and retire to Florida.Sen. Parker-Lewis wasn't kidding about shipping Cate off to DC, she wants her to pack her bags as soon as she returns from the scene of the crime. When Cate refuses her help, she threatens to cut her off completely and teach her a lesson.

Ava meets Zach after their kiss at the gala and they figure out their plans are for summer break now that he'll be interning at the New York Gallery thanks to her help. Ava is nervous at the first sign of happiness in her life thinking something bad is on its way, which is a good instinct to have on this show. Now about #Zava, I'm not entirely opposed to Ava having a positive healthy influence in her life but baby face just kinda bores me, at least Nolan was fun to watch.

Having crossed him off her murder list, Claire was quick to forgive Dylan for all his mistakes including his silly plagiarism offence and things are looking up now that he has his own internship on the horizon, thanks to his dedicated cello piece that impressed so much at the gala. Jeremy refuses to talk to anyone and Cate still finds herself caring about him. While the perfectionists are lining up at the burger cart, Dylan sees a familiar face from high school, a bully who made his teenage life hell. (This must be the same guy Caitlin was ranting to about her interview?)

Guess who else is in town? Ava's criminal runaway hot daddy makes his surprise appearance. He has a plan for him and her mother to return that involves her picking up a suspicious package. Ava, of course, agrees unconditionally to do whatever it takes but he's, and I hate to say this, the Hiram Lodge of this town. Where trouble goes, Dana follows hot on Ava's trail, she returns with the knowledge of an unidentified man visiting her building.

Desperate for anything that can get her FBI job back now that Claire has cut ties with her, she offers yet another deal, Ava's money stash in exchange for her father arrested. Would Ava ever agree to that? No way but maybe Dana is right about her father being up to more than he lets on. Trust no bitch! And while she does this she snoops around and reads Ava's texts, because she can.

After finding out she and her fellow perfectionists have made the news at BHU as the perfect posse who caught the killer, Ava finds her dad in her apartment again but is not buying any more beautiful dreamer crap. Ava took the bank account numbers he needed since her dad and mom have apparently been doing just fine with their new identities in a small town and in her shining moment, she confronts her father for abandoning her to clean up his mess. She has finally experienced what a real family is like, one that would never leave her behind so she tells Daddy Jelali to leave and never come back, no matter how much it hurts her. Thank you, Sofia Carson, for acting the hell out of this.

Liars:

The fundamental laws of physics state that for every new town the liars move to there will be an equal reaction of stalking, blackmailing, and murder. In the finale Alison and Mona find themselves wondering if it's time to leave BHU and go back home.Apparently, Claire's mercy ran out when it came to Mona, who's been sent packing after sleeping with a student. Mona's sad to leave (SHE BETTER NOT?!!!!) but she's more hung up on not finding out what that list of suspects her algorithm was generating was all about.

They two back at their attempts at a new life, Alison can't seem to get off that whirly girl ride she's been stuck in since... well since she was born into her crazy family. Mona offers her a seat to Philly with her, yes girls go back to Rosewood and take us all with you. While Ali helps Mona pack her stuff and extensive game collection, Mason knocks on her door. Alexa play "we are never ever getting back together". Back at her place Alison receives a mysterious scarlet letter with a wax stamp. The crimson society invites her to a clandestine meeting in the middle of the night. Is this a murder party!

Caitlin asks Alison for advice on her current no-money predicament. To put it lightly, Alison tells her to stop whining about having no money because her mother is offering to pay for her tuition at another prestigious university, it might not be BHU but grow up! Her reason for staying rings back to what Alison once told her about needing to find friends who are family. And hearing her own words back at her, Alison can't help but feel sad about her own friends and family including Emily.To cheer her up, Caitlin reminds her of the fighter she is having only known he for a few months she recognises her resilience and uniqueness and it's true. Ali can survive anything.

In her REDCOAT Mona struts into Claire's office and announces she's not going back to Rosewood to Claire. AND SURE ENOUGH, my speculations came true, Claire had a thing for Mason and took it out on Mona. You see it wasn't the inappropriate relationship that she was angry about, she was just jealous because she slept with Mason after Nolan's funeral. Can you believe? Claire offers her job back without calling her bluff because this might be the one thing that she can't get away with. Apart from all the various illegal spying.

Enter the professor

At 3 am all the guests of the Crimson Society (minus two no-shows) follow their instructions and meet up in an abandoned hall lit with candelabras and a TV. Don't even question why Mona and Alison are there despite their extensive experience with secret meetings set up by anonymous stalkers, as much as the liars pretend they don't want drama they love to sink their teeth into new games. For a second I was terrified this was going to be some weird Pig mask cult but it turns out A has decided to shake things up now that they're all a little too comfortable by setting up a viewing party for our liar perfectionists. Footage of them covering up the murder scene plays as their jaws collectively drop to the floor.

A speaks to them in a robotic (maybe) British voice introducing themselves as "the professor" who's been observing and studying them as part of his experiment. A spills the tea on Jeremy, who may have been guilty of spying on them but a killer he is not. With the first phase of observation coming to an end, the professor signals the start of phase 2. Mona is instantly turned on by the prospect of having a new mystery to solve and a new A to dethrone but in the game of A's you either win or you die. That's all for now.

Going back to Taylor's discovery of someone hijacking the system to spy on people, liar perfectionists theorise about the professor's experiment. As they all walk back from their first encounter, Mona notices Taylor's RV is lit up behind them and as they get closer to it the it, of course, explodes into flames. A classic A stunt can only be followed by a classic A group call as professor A tells them to do as they're told or face incarceration and thanks to some really well executed pacing the episode isn't even over by this point. It's just getting to the meat and bones of it all!

Alison rallies her troops and tells them to fight along her side. None of the perfectionists are willing to give up after all their blood sweat and dead rats they've had to deal with so they join the liars and play along until they can unmask Professor A. Calling the cops? A hilarious suggestion that should never even be mentioned.Without Taylor on their side or her mini-beacon guard, Mona requests a map of all the beacon guard dead zones from Claire who ominously reminds her she's watching her. The liars have finally realised that any place with a phone or laptop is not safe from private eyes, this is PLL black mirror.

The professor's next request is asking them to reveal their worst nightmares. If the game is going to take the form of their fears, Alison plans on exposing the professor's too by designing her own experiment. With a change of major to psychology, Alison meets her department head and finally puts her teenage mind game skills to use.

One by one the liar perfectionists faces off the watchful big brother eye and confesses their biggest fears. Alison is afraid that she's too broken to be fixed. Mason gets on his knees to get Mona back she continues to shut him out because nothing can stop her from proving her biggest fear wrong: not finding out who the bitch is. That's my Vanderjesus!

Caitlin convinces her mum that she needs to stay here to prove her worth. The Hastings & Park-Lewis spin-off will have to wait for another time but oh my god do I wanna see that. She too picks up her laptop and confesses her fear of being a failure. After Dana congratulates Ava for restoring the stolen money to her father's clients and decides to give her a pass as a parting gift, Ava announces her fear is that she'll turn into her father and she'll do anything to stop that. Dylan reconciles with his bully who was also closeted, I see an Emily-Paige romance brewing here and he promises to make it up to Dylan whose fear is going back to his homophobic home.

The Gaga cello cover from the pilot returns, as Alison's new department head calls the professor to confirm Alison is right where they want her. The professor watches everyone's confessions and while Zach offers them a coffee refill, we get our first and final A tag of the season. There's no leather gloves this time, because the professor is not hiding in a bunker they're watching everyone right in the open and have managed to outsmart even the liars by making them think they're in charge.

Verdict:

Grade: A+++

The professor is... Ezra Fitz! Just kidding. Whoever it is, PLLTP has waited an entire season to build up an intricate A game, if this is the upgraded, more modern PLL it feels fitting to have an entire experiment done on students conspiracy rather than just a revenge plot and unlike any previous A's, we know their motivations and we know it's a professor at BHU which sets the scene for S2 perfectly. We already have some suspects to cross off for the time being, we know Claire Hotchkiss wouldn't be addressed as "Professor" I'm finally convinced it can't be Taylor either. Overall PLLTP delivered what it promised and then some, now all we need is a renewal so tweet and share away bitches! It has been an honour and a dream to write for this season, let us know what you thought in the POLL and comments below. Until next time my pretty little lying perfectionists.