Recap of “Run, Ali, Run” PLL Episode 5x06

On Pretty Little Liars “Run, Ali, Run”, it’s all about dead rats and the return of the Black Widow.  This episode starts off exactly where we left last time, with all the liars and their significant others staring in horror at the Cavanaugh’s burning house.

The Pretty Little Liars get a text that says “Did you miss me bitches? – A”.  Emily says it can’t be from “A” because Shana’s dead.  Hanna asks where Toby is, but Spencer doesn’t know.  Seconds later, the Cavanaugh house explodes.

Inside, Spencer talks to Toby on her phone.  Spencer tells her friends that no one was in the house when it exploded, but Toby’s dad broke his leg avoiding a tree.  Toby is at the hospital with his parents.

Ali points out that the text from “A” means that they were wrong about Shana.  Aria says that “A” is alive and knows what she did to Shana.  Emily doesn’t want to believe that they were wrong.  She says that they all heard Shana say she was “A” at the theater.  Aria points out that Shana never actually used those words.  She never admitted to being “A”.

Emily still thinks it was clear that Shana was “A”, but Hanna tells her that “A” is back.  Spencer thinks “A” never left.  “A” took a nap and woke up.  Aria realizes that “A” was watching them and waiting for the right moment to resurface.  Ali wants to know why “A” is back now.  Spencer says they have to figure that out.

Hanna is getting coffee at The Brew when she sees Caleb sitting at a table.  Caleb’s been with Toby until an hour ago.  He says Toby is shaken up.  Hanna doesn’t understand why “A” blew up Toby’s house when they were all three doors down.  Caleb is sure that there is a reason.  “A” doesn’t shoot and miss.

Caleb shows Hanna a newspaper article about the Cavanaugh house explosion.  The article says it was caused by a natural gas leak.  He thinks the Rosewood police are such a joke, they should be riding in clown cars.  He thinks that Hanna needs to tell the police who is really behind the explosion because this isn’t a game.

Hanna can’t tell the cops because it would unravel too much.  Things happened while Caleb was gone and it isn't the same as when he left.  Caleb’s noticed that.  Hanna says she had no idea when or if Caleb was ever coming back.

Caleb shocks Hanna by telling her that he plans to leave town.  He’s going to stay in Montecito (where his mom lives) for a while.  Hanna had always assumed that Caleb would be in Rosewood if he wasn’t in Ravenswood.  Caleb doesn’t want to commit to anything.  Hanna says she needs to leave for school.  When Caleb doesn’t say anything, she takes off.

Aria can’t believe she killed an innocent person, so Ezra reminds her that Shana wasn’t innocent.  Aria knows the cops won’t believe that, since she covered up the truth for so long.  And it is just a matter of time before “A” exposes what she did.

Ezra knows that, which is why he is doing research and looking over the notes he took while he was writing his book.  Ezra is looking for a connection between Ms. DiLaurentis and Bethany Young.  Ms. DiLaurentis was on the board at the Radley Sanitarium.  Maybe “A” killed both Ms. DiLaurentis and Bethany Young.

While doing research for his book, Ezra interviewed Radley staff members.  He thinks the name Bethany Young came up, but he doesn’t know what file it is in.  Aria offers to come by his place after school to help him look.  Ezra reassures her that they are going to get through this, but Aria doesn’t seem convinced.

Spencer goes home to pick up some books.  Her dad surprises Spencer, who thought he was at work.  He says it is hard to concentrate while his wife and daughter are living at a hotel.  He asks what the hell is going on.  Spencer tells him to talk to her mom, but he says she isn’t returning his calls.  Spencer says they know he lied about where he and Melissa were the night Ms. DiLaurentis was murdered.  And Spencer tells him about the pills she found in the cabinet.  Spencer knows he was trying to protect her.

Her dad says he is always trying to protect her, but he wouldn’t kill someone to cover for anything she did.  Spencer tells him that she didn’t kill Ms. DiLaurentis.  Her dad says that he didn’t either.  Spencer asks where he and Melissa went the night Ms. DiLaurentis was murdered.

At school, Spencer tells Aria that Melissa and her dad drove to the lake to talk the night Ms. DiLaurentis was murdered.  He wouldn’t tell her what they talked about or why he lied.  Spencer left Melissa five messages, but she hasn’t heard from her.  Aria thinks Spencer’s mom did the right thing by leaving.

Aria gets a phone call from Ezra, which Spencer doesn’t seem happy about.  Aria tells Spencer that Ezra is checking for a link between Ms. DiLaurentis and Bethany Young.  Ezra left messages for all his contacts at Radley, but he hasn’t heard anything.  Aria’s going to help Ezra sort through files after school.  Spencer asks if that’s the only reason Aria is going to Ezra’s place.  Realizing something is going on between Aria and Ezra, Spencer asks why Aria brought Ezra to Emily’s house last night.  Aria admits that she slipped up with Ezra a couple of times.

Spencer is upset and asks how Aria could forget what Ezra did to them.  Aria couldn’t sleep or eat for weeks after she found out about the book.  Aria reminds her that Ezra took a bullet for them.  Spencer tells Aria that Ezra deceived her for years.

Ali, Hanna and Emily join them at the lunch table.  Spencer tells them that Toby is still at the hospital with Jenna and his stepmom.  Hanna has no idea how long Caleb will be in town.

Ali gets a text message with a video of Ms. DiLaurentis being buried.  The text says “I buried your mom the same way I watched her bury you. – A.”  The content is then deleted from the phone. 

Ali is horrified to learn that “A” killed her mom.  Emily wonders if it was Mona or someone working with Shana.  Aria brings up the possibility that it is someone else they haven’t thought of yet.  Spencer is quiet and her friends ask if she is okay.  Spencer realizes that her dad didn’t murder Ms. DiLaurentis, but she already accused him of murder.  Hanna tells her that it made sense why she suspected him.  Aria wonders if Spencer’s dad is “A”.  Spencer immediately rejects that idea.  After all, her dad thought she was the one that killed Ali, and then he thought she killed Bethany.  Hanna says that doesn’t rule out Melissa.

Spencer wants to help Ezra find a connection between Bethany Young and Ms. DiLaurentis.  Ali wants to leave Rosewood immediately.  Emily doesn’t want Ali to leave, since they just got her back.

Hanna wonders why “A” doesn’t just kill Ali.  Why play games and blow up a house?  Ali doesn’t want to stick around to find out.  Emily says they can’t protect Ali if she leaves.  Aria agrees that Ali can’t leave.  The cops are watching every move Ali makes.  Spencer asks where Ali could possibly hide. 

Spencer visits the Radley Sanitarium.  In the waiting room, she sees Lieutenant Linda Tanner (Officer Holbrook’s partner). Tanner is angry about the disrespect and lack of cooperation from the Radley staff.  As she leaves, Spencer hides her face with a magazine.  

Eddie Lamb comes out and Spencer hugs him.  Eddie heard about the Cavanaugh settlement and about Ms. DiLaurentis.  He agrees with Spencer that Bethany Young being buried in the DiLaurentis backyard is probably not a coincidence.  However, he can’t talk about Bethany.  He can’t talk to cops, reporters or Spencer.  Spencer knows that he has a set of rules to follow, but someone close to her may be framed for murder.  She wants to know if anyone from Rosewood visited Bethany.  Eddie glances at the security cameras in the room and tells Spencer that he wishes he could help, but he can’t.

Ali is at Hanna’s house, too scared to stay at home alone.  Ali still thinks she never should have returned to Rosewood.  She says Hanna can’t babysit her forever.  The doorbell rings and Ali tells Hanna not to just open the door.  Hanna checks and sees that it is Travis.  Ali waits in the kitchen while Hanna goes outside.

Hanna totally forgot that she had plans with Travis to go to The Grill.  She would go, but Ali’s in the house and she doesn’t want to leave Ali alone.  Ali’s been going through a tough time.  Travis saw Mona’s video and it looked like Ali was the one making it tough.  Hanna tells him not to believe everything he sees.

Hanna apologizes for the night she got drunk at Lucas’s party.  She hopes she didn’t do anything too embarrassing.  Travis says she was on the phone all night.  He figured there was somewhere else she wanted to be.  He asks if they are okay.  Hanna says they are great and kisses him.  She goes inside and Travis watches her from his car.

Hanna overhears Ali on the phone.  It sounds like Ali is making plans to go somewhere.  Ali can’t live in a world where she jumps every time the doorbell rings.  She asks Hanna not to tell the girls that she is running away.  Hanna tries to point out how ridiculous it is to run.  What is Ali going to tell the police next time?  That she was kidnapped again?

Ali says she can’t stay while there is a psychopath still out there.  She makes a snide comment about Hanna getting back to her love triangle after Ali is gone.  After that comment, Hanna decides to help Ali disappear.

Aria is at Ezra’s place, helping him sort through boxes of files.  Aria finds an old photo of them taken back when they were together.  Ezra says what happened the other night felt right, but Aria doesn’t think things can go back to the way they were.  Aria isn’t going to pretend that she doesn’t miss him.  Ezra misses her too.  However, Aria remembers how they met and all the lies Ezra told. 

Ezra wishes he could go back and change things, but Aria knows that he can’t.  She thinks the other night was a mistake.  There is a knock at the door, so Aria hides in the other room.

Lieutenant Tanner is at the door.  She wants to ask Ezra a few questions.  She hands him a manila envelope that was at the door.  Ezra hides the photo of him and Aria with the envelope.

Lieutenant Tanner asks if Ezra is moving out.  Ezra says that he is just getting rid of old school files.  Tanner has some questions about Shana Fring.  Ezra thought the New York detectives were handling the case.  Tanner says that Shana was a former resident of Rosewood, so she’s helping gather further information.

Tanner asks if Ezra knew Shana well.  He tells her that Shana wasn’t his student.  Tanner wants to know if he ever mentioned the theater his mom owns in New York.  When Ezra says that he never mentioned it to any students, Tanner thinks it is a strange coincidence that Shana’s body was found there.

Tanner mentions that Ezra was shot the night before Shana was killed.  And the police found gunshot residue on Shana’s sweatshirt.  Ezra keeps his cool and asks what her question is.  Tanner asks if Ezra remembers anything that might help investigation.  Ezra says there is nothing that he hasn’t already said.  As Tanner is leaving, she notices Aria’s purse on Ezra’s table.

Paige is at her locker after swim practice when Emily comes up and demands the names of the people working with Mona.  Paige says she can’t give those names, especially after seeing Mona’s video of Ali threatening her.  Emily defends Ali, saying the video was altered.  Paige points out that even if it was, Mona didn’t make Ali say all those things.  Ali isn’t sorry about the way she treated people.  Ali is still the same manipulative person that she has always been.

Emily says whoever blew up the Cavanaugh house is now threatening Ali.  Emily thinks Mona caused the leak, with the help of some friends.  Emily wonders how Paige will live with herself if something happens to Ali, knowing she could have stopped it.

Spencer and her mom are having dinner.  Spencer explains that her father didn’t kill Ms. DiLaurentis, but her mom isn’t ready to move back home.  According to her mom, all Spencer’s dad did was substitute one ridiculous lie for another.  Spencer thinks her mom will change her mind if she talks it out, but her mom doesn’t even want to look at him.

Spencer says her dad deserves to know that they are leaving, unless her mom expects her to deliver that news as well.  Her mom is upset when Spencer’s dad comes in, but Spencer says she asked her dad to come and meet them there.  Spencer gets up and her dad takes her seat.

Ali is on the phone with Noel.  Noel will pick her up at Princeton Station, but she needs Hanna to take her to the Newtown Station.  Hanna says she will drive Ali to the Princeton station to make sure she gets there safe. 

Hanna takes all her clothes out of her closet to pack for Ali.  Ali tells Hanna that she doesn’t need to give her so much.  Hanna says Ali can’t just walk out of her house with a bag of clothes.  Ali still wants to go home to see her dad and get a few things.  Hanna offers to drop Ali off at her house while she picks up cash for Ali.  Ali thanks Hanna for saving her and hugs her.

Spencer watches her parents talk from a nearby table.  Spencer is happy when she sees her parents hold hands.  Thinking everything is okay now, she leaves.

Aria, freaked out by the surprise visit from Lieutenant Tanner, thinks they need to move Ezra’s files ASAP.  Ezra wants Aria to relax, but Aria is convinced Tanner will be back with a search warrant.  If that happens, Tanner will find out they lied about Ali being kidnapped.  Ezra offers to move the files to his storage unit, but Aria thinks the police will search that, too.  Aria decides to move the files to her attic until they decide what to do.

Ezra opens the envelope and finds a drawing of Ms. DiLaurentis watering her roses, with a demon next to her.  They flip the drawing over and see it is signed by Bethany.  Aria thinks “A” left the drawing, so Ezra decides to check the security camera footage from the hallway to see who left it.

Hanna is counting the cash she got for Ali when Emily comes into Hanna’s room. Hanna quickly hides the pile of cash under the bag she packed for Ali.  Emily tells Hanna that Paige named Lucas and Melissa as people working with Mona.  Emily wants to find Ali, but Hanna says Ali went home to have dinner with her dad.

Emily is about to go tell Ali, but Hanna tells her to wait until morning.  Emily thinks this is too important to wait.  Then Emily sees the train ticket on Hanna’s dresser.  Hanna claims she is taking the train to visit her grandmother, but Emily immediately sees through this.  She says New Jersey isn’t on the way to Oklahoma.  Emily grabs the packed bag on Hanna’s bed.  When she moves it, she sees the money on the bed and knows Ali is leaving.  Hanna says that she stopped Ali from leaving, but Emily doesn’t believe her.

Emily is pissed at Hanna.  How could she let Ali go without telling any of them?  Hanna says it isn’t safe here for Ali, but Emily thinks it is a lot more dangerous for Ali all alone.  When Hanna says leaving is what Ali wants, Emily lashes out at Hanna and accuses her of doing this for her own reasons.  Emily noticed Hanna’s hair and clothing have changed since Ali returned.

Hanna says Emily has changed, too.  Hanna saw Emily holding Ali’s hand the other night.  Emily says Ali was frightened.  What was she supposed to do?  Slap Ali’s hand away?  Emily leaves and tells Hanna not to dare follow her.

Paige is about to start swim practice.  She opens her locker and a dead rat tumbles out.  Message received.

Ali comes home to an empty house.  She turns the light on and calls her dad.  Ali goes to her bedroom and “A” turns the light off in the living room. 

At home, Spencer looks at a photo of her mom and dad.  She then does an internet search for Bethany Young.  She ends up on the Radley Sanitarium website. 

Ali puts on a scarf and packs her fake I.D.s, which are taped to the bottom of her desk drawer.  She goes back to the living room and notices that the light isn’t on anymore.  “A” hits her on the back.  While Ali is down, “A” grabs her scarf and pulls it to choke Ali.

Emily arrives at Ali’s house and charges at “A”, hitting “A” with a book.  “A” shoves Emily into a dresser, and then runs away while Emily is down.  Emily rushes over to hug Ali and tells her that it is okay.  Emily wants to call the police, but Ali says she can’t call the cops or her dad.  If they call the cops, then Ali will never be able to leave.  Emily says that Ali isn’t going anywhere tonight.

Hanna goes to the one person she really wants to talk to, Caleb.  Toby told her where to find him.  Caleb asks if something happened.  Hanna says Ali was going to leave for good and she was going to help her.  Whoever killed Ali’s mom is still out there.  Caleb understands why Ali would want to go. 

Hanna admits that she wasn’t trying to keep Ali safe.  Part of her wanted Ali gone.  Caleb gets what Hanna is saying.  He knows Hanna didn’t like who she was when Ali was around.  Hanna confesses that she still wants Ali gone.

Caleb thinks whatever Ali stirred up inside Hanna isn’t going to go away even if Ali leaves Rosewood.  He knows, since he left Ravenswood and it is still with him.  Hanna asks what happened there.  Caleb doesn’t answer.  He takes a sip from his flask and passes it to Hanna, who also takes a sip.  Hanna tells Caleb that she hopes he decides to stay.

Ezra and Aria review the security camera footage.  The envelope was delivered after Aria came over, but before Lieutenant Tanner arrived.  While they are watching the footage, Aria suggests that Ezra tell Tanner the truth about Shana shooting him.  She is concerned that Ezra might get in trouble for lying to the police.

Ezra thinks the police will know he was covering something up if he tells the truth now.  Aria hates that she dragged Ezra into this mess.  Ezra says he dragged himself into the mess when he decided to write the book. 

On the security footage, they see Eddie Lamb leaving the envelope.  Ezra says he interviewed Eddie for the book.  Aria wonders why Eddie delivered the envelope to Ezra instead of Spencer. 

Ali tells Spencer and Emily that the attacker wasn’t “A”.  Whoever attacked her could have killed her, but chose not to.  Spencer wonders who would want to scare Ali.  Emily thinks it could have been Lucas or Melissa, since they are both part of Mona’s gang.  Ali says it was too dark to tell who it was.

Aria rushes in and hugs Ali.  Aria asks how this could have happened.  Emily blames Hanna for Ali being attacked, since Hanna wasn’t with her.  She is so furious at Hanna that she didn’t even call her.  She tells the girls that Hanna was going to help Ali leave town.  Spencer and Aria are shocked.  Ali tells Emily not to be pissed at Hanna.  This incident is proof that she should leave town.  They aren’t getting any closer to figuring out who “A” is.

Aria shows the girls Bethany’s drawing.  It doesn’t look like Bethany liked Ms. DiLaurentis, since the drawing has a demon and a spear.  Spencer thinks Eddie left this drawing to let Ezra know that there is something to look into at Radley.

Emily says someone has to go to Radley to get more information.  Aria immediately votes Spencer be that person, since she knows Radley best.  Spencer says she can’t, since she was committed and her dad won the Cavanaugh settlement against Radley. 

Ali gets a text from “A”.  “See how easy it is for me to kill you?  If you leave Rosewood, I will. –A”.  The girls don’t understand why “A” wants Ali alive and in Rosewood, when “A” has spent the last two years hunting Ali down.  Spencer asks what is worse than death.

Ali is grateful for Emily, who risked life to save her.  Most people see danger and run in the other direction, but not Emily.  Emily offers to take Ali home, but Ali doesn’t want to be alone.  She asks if she can spend the night.  She promises that they will just sleep.  Emily puts a blanket over Ali.  Emily lies next to Ali and watches her.  Emily doesn’t go to sleep at all.

Spencer and her mom have breakfast at The Brew.  Spencer says Toby went with his stepmom to see if anything is left in the house.  Spencer’s mom gets a call from Spencer’s dad.  Spencer is ecstatic when she finds out that they are moving back home, but then her mom tells her that Spencer’s dad is moving out.  Spencer doesn’t understand why they are still separating when her mom believes he is now telling the truth. 

Spencer’s mom says it is not just about one lie.  It is about years of lies.  Spencer thought her parents were happy together.  Her mom says they were happy some of the time.  Spencer begs her mom to give him another chance.  Her mom says she’s given him too many.

At school, Hanna tries to set up a lunch date with Travis.  Travis says he’s busy, so Hanna apologizes for not calling him back last night.  She had a lot going on with Ali being back.  Travis saw Caleb at the Grill, so he thinks Caleb is the real reason Hanna is distracted.  Travis says he can’t keep doing this if Hanna’s only in it halfway.  He likes her too much for that.

Aria is at Radley, going through with Spencer’s plan to get some answers.  Aria is trying to get a volunteer position as a way to get inside Radley.

Ali goes outside, where Emily is waiting for her.  Lieutenant Tanner pulls up and asks to see Ali’s dad.  Ali says her dad just left for work.  Tanner wants Ali to come to the police station with her dad and answer some questions about her childhood friend Shana Fring.

Ali says she still can’t believe that Shana is gone.  Tanner says there is so much tragedy for such a small town.  Tanner wants to know where Ali was the night Shana died.  Ali says she was in Philadelphia with her friends, but Tanner wants to know exactly where in Philadelphia they were.  She tells Ali to have her dad call the station.  After Tanner leaves, Ali gets a text that says “Time for the caged bird to sing – A”

The Black Widow (last seen at Wilden’s funeral in “‘A’ is for A-L-I-V-E” episode 4x01) is back, complete with the black veil covering the face.  The Black Widow sends flowers to the parents of Bethany Young.  The note says “My dearest condolences – A”.