Recap of “Surfing the Aftershocks” PLL Episode 5x03

This week on Pretty Little Liars, a funeral is held for Ms. DiLaurentis, there’s a new girl at school and Hanna has an identity crisis.

Ali curls up in bed after finding her out her mom is dead.  Her friends ask if she is okay.  They offer to get her food and water.  Ali stays in bed without responding.  Ali’s dad asks the girls to leave Ali alone.  She’s been through a lot.  Jason agrees with his father and says the girls should all leave.

The day of the funeral, Hanna offers to help Ali get dressed.  Ali tells Hanna to go downstairs without her.

Downstairs, Mr. DiLaurentis tells Jason that he doesn’t want police or press at the funeral.  Jason tells him that he already took care of it. 

Hanna joins her friends and Aria ask how Ali is doing.  Emily pointedly looks at Jason when she says that Ms. DiLaurentis was murdered.

Spencer tells them that it couldn’t have been Jason.  She saw his face when the body was discovered.

Aria, worried about “A”, says that a dog finding a buried body sounds like something “A” would arrange.  Spencer reassures Aria by telling her that dogs dig.  There’s nothing unusual about that.  Emily tells Aria that “A” is gone.

Spencer wants to focus on dealing with Mona, who knows that the kidnap story is fake.  And that’s not the only person they need to worry about.  Aria, thinking that Spencer is talking about Noel, says that Noel will do whatever is best for himself.  Spencer says that she wasn’t talking about Noel.

Ali comes downstairs and everyone stares at her.  Ali isn’t wearing the same black dress that the girls helped her pick out.  Spencer says the dress isn’t Ali, but she’s seen it before.

Ali’s dad, upset, asks why Ali is wearing that dress.  Ali says that she wanted to wear one of her mom’s dresses so she could feel closer to her.  Ali’s dad demands that she change the dress.  Jason tries to stop his dad, but Ali’s dad insists that she put something else on.  Jason, trying to stop the fight, tells his dad that it’s late.

Ali asks her friends why her dad is so angry.  Spencer tells Ali that she's wearing the same dress that her mom wore to Ali’s funeral.

At school Emily, Aria, Spencer and Hanna are called into Principal Hackett’s office.  Principal Hackett acknowledges that the girls have had a stressful week and he is relieved that they are back home safe. 

However, things will be different now.  The school will protect the girls from the press, but there are limits to what they can do.  Principal Hackett wants to know that the girls will do what they can to keep the disruptions to a minimum.  Hanna promises him that he won’t even know they are there.

Out of Principal Hackett’s office, Spencer says that the principal obviously wishes that they transferred schools.  Emily thinks that maybe they shouldn’t have come back to school.  Spencer doesn’t agree.  She believes that they need to act like things are normal.

Hanna can’t believe Spencer used the word “normal”.  Ali’s mom was killed while the girls were in New York and now they are stuck in one of Ali’s biggest lies ever.

Emily knows that they can’t pretend forever.  Someone is going to connect all this to Shana.  Hanna thinks that someone would probably be Jenna.

Spencer is more worried about the people who already know Ali was lying about New York.  Emily asks if Spencer means Noel and Mona.  Spencer also adds Ezra to the list of people to worry about.  Spencer pointedly looks at Aria. 

Spencer tells Aria that someone has to talk to Ezra and make sure he keeps quiet about what really happened.  Aria is quick to say that it isn’t going to be her.  Ezra is alive and safe, but the two of them are over.  Aria says they can ask her to do anything else, but they can’t ask her to talk to Ezra. 

Emily tells them that Mr. DiLaurentis kept the cops away before the funeral.  Now that it’s over, it won’t take long for the cops to start punching holes in Ali’s kidnap story.  When that happens, they need something real to give to the police to explain why Ali lied and why they all backed her up. 

Hanna suggests that they tell the cops who hit Ali the night she went missing and who killed Ms. DiLaurentis.  Hanna and Emily are positive that it is Jason.

Spencer is not sure it was Jason.  She saw how shocked Jason was when they found Ms. DiLaurentis’s body buried in the backyard.

Emily and Hanna refuse to listen to Spencer.  They insist Jason tried to kill Ali.  They can’t think of any other person Ms. DiLaurentis would cover up a murder for besides her own son.

Hanna can’t believe that Spencer doesn’t believe them, but Emily reminds her that Jason is Spencer’s half-brother.  Emily wants Hanna to go with her to Philadelphia after school.  She wants to look at the apartment Jason went to.  Hanna says that she can’t go.  She has to take Ali to the funeral home.

Mona welcomes Aria back to school.  Mona’s been passing around a get well card for Ezra and wants Aria to sign.  She asks if Aria knows what happened to Ezra in New York.  Aria says that Ezra was mugged.  Mona, showing that she knows everything that goes on, tells Aria that Ezra was shot.  However, he’s back now recuperating.

Aria had no idea Ezra was back in Rosewood. 

Mona pushes Aria to sign the get well card.  She says Aria should sign for the sake of appearances.  They need to be aware of how others see them.

Hanna joins them, saying that she heard Mona was floating a get well card around.  Hanna signs the card and asks if Mona’s going to give him the card with candy.  Mona says that Ezra was shot in the stomach, so she thought flowers might be better. 

Mona asks what it will be like when Ali comes back to Rosewood High.  Ali will pick up where she left off.  Ali’s got quite a story to tell.  All that drama, anger and suspense.  It couldn’t be more excited if she made it up.

Hanna asks Mona if she’s seen Noel Kahn.  Mona’s sure Noel is around somewhere getting into mischief.  Aria tells Hanna that Mona said Ezra was back in Rosewood.

Emily drops her notebook in the hallway and Paige picks it up.  Paige says she’s sorry about what happened to Alison.  Emily asks if she’s sorry about anything else.  Paige doesn’t answer.

Emily sees a new girl staring at her.  Emily expresses her frustration at every one staring at her.  Paige says the new girl is on the swim team, so she’ll take care of it.  Emily tells her not to bother and goes to her locker.

Mona comes up to Paige and says that it’s nice to have Emily back.  She tells Paige that she hasn’t signed the card for Ezra yet.

The new girl continues to stare at Emily.  Annoyed, Emily goes over to her and tells her that people have been staring at her all day.  Take a good look and move on.  The new girl tells Emily that she was looking at all the swim trophies.  Emily’s name is on all trophies.  The new girl introduces herself as Sydney Driscoll. 

Emily apologizes for shouting at her.  Sydney tells Emily she thought she’d be taller.  She figured that was why Emily always won at swim meets.  Emily says being taller helps, but not as much as people think.  

Sydney heard that Emily doesn’t swim anymore because she hurt her shoulder.  Emily must miss it.  Emily admits that she does.  Sydney begs Emily to help her with her swimming.  She wants Emily to watch her swim for fifteen minutes and tell her what she thinks.

Spencer stands at her bedroom window and watches the DiLaurentis house.  Melissa comes up behind her and tells her not to get caught looking.  Spencer asks if Melissa thinks someone might throw a rock.  Melissa says it’s a possibility, since the DiLaurentis family hates the Hastings family enough.

Spencer, thinking Melissa is being overly dramatic, says that they aren’t feuding families like the Hatfields and McCoys.  Melissa thinks of them more as the Borgias and Medici family, which ended nasty with a lot of matricides.

Spencer points out that Melissa suspects Jason killed his mother.  Melissa doesn’t deny that.  She says people are capable of all sorts of things, under the right pressure.

Melissa asks why Spencer sent Toby to London and Spencer tells her that she didn’t.  Toby went on his own. 

Now it’s Spencer’s turn to ask Melissa questions.  She asks why Melissa lied about seeing Toby in London.  Melissa thinks that, on a practical level, there’s no difference between her seeing him and knowing he was there.  She lied to keep Wren out of things.  Mom and dad are worried enough without her dragging Wren back into things.  Spencer asks if their parents are more worried about Melissa or herself.

Melissa suggests that Spencer start worrying about herself.  Spencer brought Ali back and Melissa wishes that Spencer had left Ali where she found her.  She warns Spencer to stay away from Ali and her family.

Spencer points out that Jason is related to them.  Spencer thinks blood is thicker than water, but Melissa observes that blood can also be very slippery. 

Ali and Hanna go to the funeral home together.  Ali hates funeral homes.   Her mom wanted her to understand the fragile nature of life, so she dragged Ali to relatives’ funerals all the time.  Ali looks at a painting on the wall and bolts out of the room. 

While Ali is gone, the funeral director comes in and apologizes for the wait.  The funeral director, based on the description he was given of Ali, mistakes Hanna for Ali.  Ali comes in and Hanna points him in Ali’s direction.  Ali, making a dig at how Hanna used to look, says that it used to be a little easier to tell them apart.  Hanna stares at her reflection in the mirror and has a flashback.

Flashback:  Hanna is sitting outside the bakery, staring at a missing person flyer for Ali.  Mona comes up and asks how Hanna is doing.  Hanna says she’s okay.  She looks down at the cupcake wrappers in front of her and goes to throw them away. 

Mona says it’s not good that Ali’s been gone for two months.  The longer a person is missing, the less likely they are to come back.

Hanna notices that Mona isn’t wearing glasses anymore and says that Mona looks different. 

Mona asks how Hanna would look if it was Hanna on the missing person flyer.  Hanna says that they would probably put a blank space instead of a picture. 

Mona says that if Ali is really gone, someone has to take her place.  She asks Hanna if she wants to know the secret to becoming unforgettable.

Spencer and her dad look at the police tape in their backyard.  The yard is still an active crime scene.  Spencer’s dad asks how Spencer feels about selling the house.  Spencer reminds him that they would have to inform the buyer of any mold, termites or dead bodies.  Spencer’s dad says whether they stay or go, he is finished with the DiLaurentis family.

Spencer says that they can sell the house and move, but they will always be connected to the DiLaurentis family (referring to Mr. Hastings being the father of Jason).  Mr. Hastings says that complicated problems have simple solutions.

Spencer tells her dad that Melissa thinks Jason killed Ms. DiLaurentis.  Mr. Hastings doesn’t seem to be concerned about Jason, even though they are talking about his own son.  Mr. Hastings says it’s the police’s job to find out who the killer is. 

Spencer tells her dad to stop Melissa from pointing the police in Jason’s direction, but Mr. Hastings thinks it is a good thing if the police are looking anywhere other than their house.  Annoyed, Spencer tells her father to forget about selling the house.  They should just put a koi pond out back, since someone already dug a hole.

Aria goes to Ezra’s apartment and is about to knock, but she walks away.  The door opens and Ezra comes out and sees Aria.  Aria goes into his apartment.

Ezra is walking with a cane.  He has a health care professional that checks in on him.  She’s pretty nice, she says he is her favorite gunshot victim.  Aria doesn’t respond. 

Ezra knows that he promised he wouldn’t come back, but he doesn’t have anywhere else to go.  Aria asks how he feels.  Ezra feels like a turkey that’s been carved up and sewn back together.  Nothing feels like it’s in the right place.  His counselor says its mind-body disorient and it should go away.

Ezra says he heard Ali’s kidnapping story on television.  He asks if that’s the story they have to live with it.  Aria says for now it is.  Ezra shakes his head.

Aria asks if he knows about Ms. Dilaurentis being murdered.  Ezra says he thought Shana did it, but the timing doesn’t work out. 

Ezra says he had everything backwards.  Once he knew Shana was following the girls and he saw her in New York dressed in all black, then he knew she was “A”.  Ezra asks if Aria has heard from her.  Aria says no.

Ezra tells Aria to be careful, since Shana is clearly still out there.  He stresses that all the girls need to be careful.  Aria tries to leave, but struggles with Ezra’s new door lock.  Ezra helps her open the door and thanks her for coming and letting him see her.  Aria admits that she wanted to see him, too.  Aria hears Ezra lock the door behind her.

In the locker room, Sydney tells Emily that she watched videos of Emily swimming.  Sydney wants to match Emily’s stroke rate, but Emily tells her that it won’t work with her ratio.  Sydney has no clue what Emily is talking about, so Emily helps measure Sydney’s ape index.  Paige joins them to help out. 

Paige says that Sydney doesn’t have long arms, so she shouldn’t copy those who do.  Paige says that Emily has great arms.  Emily tells Sydney to adjust her stroke rate. 

Sydney asks if Emily and Paige have spent a lot of time together training.  Emily is quick to say no.  Paige says they have spent time together outside of the pool, but Emily is quick to refute that.  Sydney, sensing the tension in the room, quickly leaves.  Emily storms out and leaves Paige alone in the locker room.

Mona’s sitting by herself at school.  As Hanna watches her, she remembers back when Mona helped Hanna transform her image.

Flashback:  Mona and Hanna are standing in front of a mirror in Hanna’s bedroom.  Mona tells Hanna that she needs a new wardrobe to go with her new silhouette.  Mona pulls a blue top out of Hanna’s closet.  Hanna tells her that is Ali’s shirt.  Ali left it there after a sleepover.  Hanna’s sure it won’t fit.  Mona insists that Hanna try it on.  Hanna’s shocked that it fits.  Mona says its like it was made for her.  Mona tells Hanna that everything’s better with a friend.

Aria and Ali meet up.  Ali asks Aria what Ezra said.  Aria tells her that Ezra isn’t going to contradict Ali’s kidnapping story.  Ali asks if Ezra knows about Shana.  When Aria says no, Ali tells her that it’s better if Ezra doesn’t know.

Aria tells Ali that Mona thinks Ali’s going to return to Rosewood High.  Mona could create trouble if Ali returns.  Both Mona and Ezra know that Ali wasn’t really kidnapped. 

Ali says that Ezra and Mona don’t look at the world in the same way.  Ezra's not a bad guy, he’s just too romantic for own good. That’s probably why Aria fell in love with him.

Aria tells Ali that she doesn’t need an analysis of her personality.

Aria hands Ali Ezra’s manuscript.  Aria tells Ali that she can keep it or burn it.  She doesn’t care.  

Ali reminds Aria that Shana tried to kill Ezra.  Shana would have killed all of them if Aria didn’t stop her.  Aria isn’t comforted by hearing that and she leaves.

Emily and Hanna go back to Philadelphia to look at the apartment Jason visited.  They run into the same guy who scared them away last time.  The girls tell him that he makes a good watch guard.  They talked to the pizza shop owner across the street.  They know he orders 2-3 pizzas all the time.  What are all those pizzas for?

They tell him that they are looking for a friend, Jason.  They need to make amends for something.  They know he was there when he claimed he was getting sober at Clark.  Hanna demands to know when Jason was at the apartment.

Spencer goes next door to see Jason.  Jason’s packing a suitcase.  He doesn’t have any reason to stay.  The funeral is over and his dad doesn’t need him.  If someone needs to contact him, they’ll find him.

Jason says that his mom had too many secrets and those secrets are what killed her.

Jason says that sometimes he’ll see Alison sitting at the piano or he’ll catch a glimpse of her going around a corner upstairs.  This is what it’s like to live in a haunted house and he doesn’t like it.  

Spencer shows Jason the printout of the last email Ms. DiLaurentis sent.  She doesn’t want to tell him how she got it, but Jason already knows Hanna gave it to her.

Hanna and Emily drive back to Rosewood after learning that Ms. DiLaurentis didn’t send the email to Jason.  They now know that Jason was at the apartment (dry house) in Philadelphia with half a dozen people the night Ms. DiLaurentis was killed.

Hanna is a little disappointed because now they don’t have any suspects. 

Flashback:  Hanna remembers walking down the school hall for the first time after her makeover.  Every one was staring at her.  Mona grabbed Hanna’s hand and they walked hand-in-hand down the hall together. 

Back in the present, Hanna asks Emily what it was it like to come out.  What’s it like to stop being one thing and become something else.  Emily says that she wasn’t becoming something else, she was becoming who she really is.  She always knew, but she could never admit it.  Hanna says it wasn’t like that for her.  She never knew who the hell she was.

Spencer tells Jason that the time stamp on the email means Ms. DiLaurentis wrote it two hours after leaving the police station.  Jason suggests that his mom changed her mind about sending the email. 

  
Jason asks Spencer what would make her change her mind if it were her.  Spencer says that she would realize the message is something she has to deliver personally.  She would have gotten up, walked out and told someone Ali was alive and that things are falling apart. 

  
Jason says it’s too bad his mom never got to give the message.  Spencer thinks that maybe she did.  And whoever she talked to killed her.  Spencer’s got tons of ideas as to who it might be.

Jason asks Spencer if she wants to be right or does she want to be happy.  He hands the email back to Spencer.  Spencer says that she doesn’t have a choice.  She never did.  Jason advices her to cut her losses and get out while she still can.  He reminds her that they can’t trust their father. 

Ali stops by Ezra’s apartment.  She thanks Ezra for saving them that night on the roof.   She was scared that he would die and she’s glad that he’s okay now. 

Ezra asks why Ali is in his apartment and why did she bring his manuscript.  Ali says that she’s looking for something, but she couldn’t find everything she needed.  She needs more information in order to stay alive. 

Ali believes that Ezra has more information.  She doesn’t believe that he really destroyed all of it.  Ezra says that if there is any more information, the only thing preventing him from burning it is the possibility that it would help Aria if she would let him help her.

Ali tells him that he better keep it in a safe place.  Ezra asks if Aria knows that she came over.  When Ali says no, Ezra says to tell her.  Absolute honesty is all Ezra has got left.  Ali hopes that it will be enough.

Emily and Hanna stop at the Brew for food and coffee.  Hanna sees Mona and tells Emily to order for her. 

Hanna walks over to Mona and confronts her.  Hanna points out that Mona knew Ali was alive the whole time that Hanna and Mona were in glamour boot camp together. 

Mona says that doesn’t matter. Ali was gone.  There was a hole to fill and the opportunity to help each other move up the pyramid. 

 
Hanna says that Mona didn’t help her.  Mona changed her.  Mona made Hanna dye her hair, wear Ali’s clothes and even walk and talk like Ali.  Mona points out that Hanna didn’t give any pushback at the time.  Hanna says that Ali was gone, so why did Mona want to get Ali back by turning Hanna into the new Ali?

Mona thinks that Hanna should show her a little gratitude.  After all, Hanna didn’t like being “Hefty Hanna” any more than Mona liked being “Loser Mona”.  Mona asks who Hanna would be without the Ali upgrade.  Hanna says that she would still be herself.  Mona asks who remembers that version of Hanna? 

Spencer goes to Aria’s house to tell her that Emily and Hanna found out Jason has alibi for what happened in New York and Rosewood.

Spencer also tells Aria that Jason said not to trust Mr. Hastings.  There is a possibility that Ms. DiLaurentis was emailing Spencer’s dad. 

  
Spencer knows that she didn’t kill the girl in Ali’s grave, but she can’t prove it and her parents don’t believe her.  Aria asks if Spencer’s parents would actually do anything about it.  Spencer doesn’t know. 

  
Spencer is sorry that Aria had to go talk to Ezra.  Aria admits that they had to know what he was going to say about New York.

Spencer asks if Aria is okay and if she needs anything.  Aria says that she needs to know that killing Shana in the theater didn’t happen, but it did. 

Ali is walking down the street at night alone, when she runs into Spencer’s dad.  He’s surprised to see Ali all by herself.  Ali says that she can’t hide in her room forever.  Mr. Hastings offers Ali a ride home. 

Emily comes home to find Paige waiting for her on the porch.  Emily says that they are done fighting.  Paige asks what that makes them.  Emily says that they go to same school, used to be teammates and maybe will be friends. 

Paige admits that she practiced what she was going to say to Emily.  She practice the whole way over to Emily’s house and even sounded pretty convincing.  But then she got there and forgot everything she practiced.  All she can say is that she loves Emily.  And maybe if she says it just right it will somehow fix things and everything will be all right.

Emily says sorry.  Paige realizes that Emily doesn’t sound forgiving and she should leave.  Before Paige leaves, Emily tells her that she deserves the best of everything.  Paige says that is what she had. 

Spencer’s dad comes home to find Spencer waiting for him.  He offers to share his pretzels with her, as long as she doesn’t tell her mom.  The world is in a sorry state when he has to make a secret out of eating salt. 

Spencer shows her dad the email Ms. DiLaurentis wrote after coming back from the police station.  Spencer says that email is why Ms. Dilaurentis is dead. 

Spencer’s dad folds the email up and says that it doesn’t mean anything.  Spencer demands to know who Ms. DiLaurentis was trying to protect. 

Melissa comes in and tells Spencer to leave their dad alone.  Melissa grabs the email and reads it.  Their dad tells Melissa not to worry about the email.  Melissa rips up the email.  Spencer points out that ripping it means nothing in the digital age.  Melissa says that Ms. DiLaurentis was crazy, but Spencer points out that she was both crazy and afraid.

Mr. Hastings, fed up with their bickering, yells that people are dead.  They need to stop the friendly fire.  Melissa says that maybe they should tell Spencer, but their dad says no.  He orders Spencer to go upstairs.  Melissa thinks it would be best for Spencer to leave.  She says things are complicated.  Spencer’s dad says it is simple.  You can’t lie about something you don’t know anything about.

Aria comes to Ezra’s apartment.  She meant to warn Ezra that Ali might stop by, but she didn’t know Ali would move that fast.  When Ali came by, Ezra thought it was Aria at the door.  Ezra admits that he thought he’d never see Aria again.  Aria thought same thing.  Yet her she is, back at the scene of the crime.  Ezra tells her that there is no crime here. 

Aria tells Ezra that she didn’t just come to warn him about Ali.  She came to tell him something that she should have told him before.  Ezra tells her that she doesn’t have to tell him anything. 

Aria says that he doesn’t have to worry about Shana anymore because she’s dead.  Aria tells Ezra that she killed Shana in New York after she left the hospital.  Aria’s been telling herself that she just tried to stop Shana and never meant to kill her, but Aria is doubting herself.  Ezra asks how he can help her. 

Hanna, still struggling with her identity crisis and trying to figure out who she is, goes to the hair salon to dye her hair. She doesn’t want the same shade of blonde color she has now.  It’s time for a change. 

Mona watches from behind a glass door.  Someone joins Mona, but we don’t see who it is.