Recap for “March of Crimes” PLL Episode 5x09

Spencer has double vision when she sees Jenna, Aria has devastating news for her mom and Spencer has a showdown with Noel Kahn.

Spencer and Emily react in shock when they find out Ali asked Noel to break into Hanna’s house and scare Hanna’s mom.  Emily wants to know why Noel would help Ali.  Spencer asks what the plan would be if Noel got caught.  Would Noel say he just wanted to borrow a butcher knife from the kitchen?  When Ali tells her to keep it down, Spencer calls her crazy.  Emily is concerned that Spencer’s eye is getting worse (after her injury from the stables).

Hanna comes in and tells the girls her mom is freaked out.  Unapologetic, Ali says they needed to do this because Lt. Tanner is trying to poke holes in their story.  Spencer points out that this is all Ali’s story.

Ali’s phone rings, but she doesn’t want to answer it in front of the girls.  Spencer asks if it is Noel calling.  Is Noel is the person Ali’s been sneaking out of her house to meet?

Ali gets pissed that Spencer has been spying on her.  She says Noel has her back, unlike the rest of the girls.  Ali is furious that Aria didn’t show up to her S.O.S. call and Spencer is shadowing her like she’s the enemy.  Asking Noel to scare Hanna’s mom may not have been the perfect plan, but she’s running out of choices.  Ali storms out of the room to call her dad.

Spencer points out that Ali never answered the question about Noel.  Spencer doesn’t understand how Noel had time to lock her and Emily in the stable and also break into Hanna’s house.  Emily is sure it wasn’t Noel, since it was Melissa’s riding helmet they found in the stable.  Spencer says Melissa wasn’t the one who hired Noel to terrorize Hanna’s mom.  Maybe Ali asked Noel to choke her, too.  Ali has clearly gone rogue.  Emily is certain it wasn’t Noel who attacked Ali in her house.  Spencer doesn’t like that Hanna is drinking again, but Hanna says it is her bedroom.  At least it was hers before Ali invaded it.  Even the doorknob smells like Ali. 

Emily has to go home and Hanna begs to go with her and stay the night.  Emily says Hanna can’t come over.  Emily tells Spencer not to let Hanna drink and dial.

Emily is on her way home when she stops to fix her bike.  She hears voices.  “Can’t keep doing this.  Have to meet me halfway.  Too dangerous.  Not taking anymore chances.  Shana, please don’t fight me on this”.  Emily realizes the voices are coming from a recording that Noel is listening to in his car.  Emily hides, but makes a noise.  Noel, hearing her, drives off. 

Hanna's mom wants to take Ali and Hanna shopping after school to get new clothes for Ella and Zach’s engagement party.  Hanna says she’s not going to the party.  Her mom thinks Aria will be hurt if Hanna doesn’t go, but Hanna says Aria won’t care if she’s not there.   

Hanna throws her bag on the bed and her flask falls out.  Hanna’s mom says that drinking isn’t the answer.  It’s dangerous, disturbing and unacceptable.  She knows what Ali and the girls have been through.  She was terrified last night when the intruder broke in.  She doesn’t blame Hanna for wanting an escape, but Hanna can’t afford to be out of control when Ali’s kidnapper is still out there.  Hanna’s mom promises that the kidnapper will be caught.

Lt. Tanner questions Aria and Ella (Aria’s mom).  She starts off by asking about Ezra.  The principal told her that Aria engaged in an intimate relationship with Ezra after he was no longer a teacher at Rosewood High.  Ella asks what this has to do with the break-in at Hanna's house.  Lt. Tanner can’t answer that.  She says they can conclude the interview, but she will go to a judge.  Ella says they should just get the questions over with.  

 

 

Lt. Tanner wants to know if Ezra was seeing other students socially, like Shana.  She wonders if Ezra was having intimate relationships with other students.  Aria is quick to say no.  Ezra didn’t serial date students.  He wasn’t a creep prowling the school hallways.  Tanner says that these are just questions.

Ali comes up to Spencer and asks if Spencer will be interrogated next.  Ali thinks her friends will cave.  Spencer says she isn’t going to cave, but Ali is worried that Aria might.  Ali is worried that Aria is icing them out.  She asks what is going on between Aria and Hanna, but Spencer denies knowing anything.  Ali says if one of them fall, they all fall and “A” will win.

Hanna arrives at school, clearly drunk.  Ali says Caleb dropped Hanna off at school.  Ali tells Spencer that Hanna is the one she should be following.

 

Emily is in a meeting at the swim coach’s office.  The coach asks about Emily’s academic standing and her shoulder injury.  He finally decides to give Emily the assistant coaching position.  Emily intentionally leaves her phone on the desk.  They both leave.  Emily comes back seconds later to get her phone and look up the boys locker assignments, specifically Noel Kahn’s locker.

Ella chases after Aria, who is upset after the interview with Tanner.  Aria is freaked when Noel walks by and say ‘hi’ to her and her mom.  Ella tells Aria that she can’t lose her cool like that.  Aria says Ezra is on Tanner’s hit list and she’s wrong.  Ella thinks Tanner is just doing her job.  Ella tells Aria that sometimes we have blind spots when comes to the people we love.  

Emily sneaks into boys locker room takes Noel’s car keys from his locker.

Spencer stops by to see Caleb on the way to her eye doctor appointment.  She tells him that Hanna has been a mess ever since he got back.  Caleb thinks Spencer is confusing him with Alison.  

Spencer says Hanna is wasted in the middle of the day and crashing into people that she cares about.  Spencer understands Hanna not wanting to toast Zach at the engagement party.  Caleb doesn’t know what Spencer is talking about and Spencer realizes Hanna hasn’t told him about Zach hitting on her.  

Spencer tells Caleb that “A” is back and the cops are circling them with questions.  Hanna can’t be stumbling around like she’s on a bender in Cancun.  Hanna’s been making some scary mistakes.  Caleb brushes off Spencer’s concerns and says Hanna is a big girl.  Spencer thinks Hanna is a loose cannon and Caleb is supplying her with gun powder.  Hanna isn’t drinking alone.  Spencer doesn’t know what happened when Caleb was away and it’s not her business.  Spencer knows she isn’t one to judge, but she always thought Caleb was the best thing to happen to Hanna.  It hurts her to watch them spiraling.  Hanna and Caleb used to draw strength from each other and Spencer doesn’t understand why Caleb and Hanna aren’t like that anymore.  

Ali senses tension with Hanna, so she tries to break the ice with her after class.  Hanna isn’t interested in chit-chat though, she just wants to get away from Ali.  Ali offers to walk Hanna to biology class, but Hanna snaps that she doesn’t need an escort.  Ali finally apologizes for having Noel break-in to Hanna’s house last night.  She offers to pay for the broken window.  Hanna tells her this isn’t about the window.  Ali’s stupid stunts affect a lot of people.

Ali wants to know if Hanna is talking about her mom.  Or is Hanna fighting with Aria over Ali.  Ali offers to talk to Aria for her, but Hanna doesn’t want Ali to do anything for her.  She just wants to be left alone.  Hanna suggests that Ali stay with one of the other girls.  Ali doesn’t understand why their group is falling apart.   

Jenna walks in and Hanna leaves Ali alone with Jenna.

Ali didn’t know Jenna was enrolled in Rosewood High.  Jenna says no one noticed that she came back, since she isn’t the one who came back from the dead. 

Ali tells Jenna that she is sorry about Shana’s death.  Shana meant a lot to her, too.  Jenna says she’s sorry for Ali.  She heard about the break-in at Hanna’s house.  It must be hard for Ali to come back, knowing someone is still after her.  Ali asks how Jenna turned Shana against her.  Shana was Ali’s friend before she even met Jenna.  Jenna says she didn’t do anything; Ali was the one who did that.

Aria texts Ezra not to rush back to Rosewood.  Tanner has a lot of questions about Shana.  Hanna is heading in Aria’s direction, but Aria leaves before Hanna can come over.

Spencer gets drops to dilate her pupils at the eye doctor’s office.  Spencer’s vision is blurry, but she thinks she sees two Jenna’s in the office.  Spencer tries to snap a photo of them on her phone, but they walk away before she can.  

Emily breaks into Noel’s car and finds photos of Ali, along with the recorder Noel was listening to the night before.  Emily takes them with her.

Spencer calls Emily and asks her to come.  She saw Jenna with another Jenna.  Emily doesn’t have time to talk.  She found photos of Ali taken in the two years when Ali was supposedly dead.  Emily needs to drop off Noel’s car keys at lost and found, so she can’t come.  Emily hangs up when she thinks someone is coming.

Spencer calls Emily back.  She notices the eye chart in front of her has certain letters in bold.  It says “CAN UCME YET A”.

Emily calls to tell Aria about eye chart Spencer saw.  Aria wonders if someone helped Jenna mess with the eye chart.  Aria goes home to deliver candles to her mom and Zach.  The store only had scented candles, so Ella decides to forget them.  She jokes that Zach looks better in dark.  Ella has to leave for a hair appointment, so Aria and Zach are left alone together.  Aria crosses Hanna’s name off the guest list.  Zach asks what is wrong with Hanna.  Aria just says that Hanna isn’t feeling well.

Spencer is now wearing shades at the eye doctor’s office.  Emily comes in, also wearing shades.  Spencer points out the two Jennas, who about to leave the office.  Emily realizes that one of them is Sydney.  Jenna says Sydney gave her a ride.  Emily wants to know when Sydney and Jenna became friends.  Jenna wants to leave, but Spencer says Sydney needs to answer Emily’s question.  

Emily says Sydney never mentioned that she was friends with Jenna.  When Jenna says maybe it never came up, Spencer tells her to let Sydney speak for herself.  She compares Jenna to a monkey by saying when you ask the organ master a question; you don’t want to hear from the monkey.  Jenna asks how long it will take them to realize they are nervous around the wrong person.  She isn’t Alison.  

Hanna’s in a bad mood after school.  She immediately goes to grab a beer.  Caleb pushes her to tell him what’s wrong and why they are skipping the engagement party.  It’s not like Hanna to turn down free food and a chance to dress up.  He asks if this is about Zach.  Hanna admits that Zach hit on her, but no one believes her.

Caleb tells Hanna that he believes her.  He doesn’t understand why she didn’t tell him.  Hanna was embarrassed, but Caleb tells her that Zach is the one who should be embarrassed.  Hanna says she feels like crawling in a hole and never coming out.  She doesn’t want to talk about it anymore.  

Caleb says he is going to grab Hanna’s favorite food from Maggiano’s.  He promises to be back soon and tells her to watch the chickiest chick flick she can find.  He gives her a kiss before leaving.

Aria and her mom are dressing up for the engagement party.  Ella wants outfit approval from Aria, her fashion guru.  Aria asks if her mom is sure she wants to marry Zach.  She asks how well she really knows Zach.  Her mom asks if Zach was inappropriate with her.  Aria says not with her, but maybe with Hanna.  Aria asks why her mom immediately asked that question.  Her mom says there was an incident before they came here.  She explained it away as pre-wedding jitters.  Aria says she is so sorry.  Her mom is about to cry.

Caleb goes to the Brew to confront Zach.  Caleb says Zach is a scumbag begging to get his ass kicked.  Caleb asks if he hits on all Aria’s friends or just Hanna.  Zach says that he respects Caleb for coming down her, but it’s just a misunderstanding.  He claims that he was just joking.  Caleb says Hanna has a good sense of humor, but she didn’t find him funny at all. 

 

Zach says Hanna was probably just embarrassed.  He shows Caleb a not that he claims Hanna slipped in his pocket.  The note says “Sorry if I acted shy before.  I promise I’ll make up for it.  Hanna”.  Caleb says the note isn’t from Hanna.  Zach says he was only reacting to the signals he was getting.  Caleb punches him and tells everyone in the room not to worry, he’s not coming back for the party.

Hanna is watching an old movie when Caleb finally comes back, without food.  Caleb immediately goes to the freezer to ice his hand.  He says Zach is a piece of crap with a strong jaw.  Caleb shows Hanna the note Zach gave him.  Hanna denies writing the note, which Caleb already knew.  Caleb thinks “A” saw that Zach was a dirt bag and moved things along by giving him the fake note.  Hanna realizes this note was why Zach got in her car.

Spencer and Emily talk on the phone.  Spencer is planning to hide the Noel’s photos and recording at the lake house.  She doesn’t want Noel breaking into her bedroom.  Emily is worried that Spencer won’t make it back for the engagement party.  Aria is on the warpath with Hanna and Emily doesn’t want it to look like they are taking sides.  Spencer is worried that the photos will decimate Ali’s story.  If that happens, they are next.  Spencer promises to make it back to the party and tells Emily to save her a shrimp.

 

Emily is furious to find Sydney waiting outside Emily’s house.  Emily asks if Jenna is hiding in the trunk of Sydney’s car.  Sydney begs for the chance to explain things.  A couple years ago she volunteered for the visually impaired.  She was there the day Ali came to visit Jenna.  Sydney basically had to glue Jenna back together again after Ali left.  

Emily says that was a long time ago and Ali has been through a lot since then.  Sydney says Jenna has been through a lot, too.  She panicked when she heard Ali was alive and coming back to Rosewood.  Jenna was totally alone and reached out to Sydney.

Emily asks what Jenna asked Sydney to do.  Sydney says Jenna wanted to feel safe.  Emily says that Sydney latched on to her from her first day at school.  Sydney gave her gifts, took over her weekends with training and told her sob stories about having no one to cheer for her at swim meets.  Sydney admits that she didn’t expect to like Emily.  She didn’t know Emily would be a decent person.  

Furious, Emily says that she is taking the assistant coaching position just to be in Sydney’s face all the time.  She wants Sydney to know what it feels like to be sucker punched.

Spencer goes to the lake house and puts Noel’s photos and recording in a drawer.  She suddenly realizes that someone is under one of the furniture coverings.  There is a blue eyeball staring at her from a hole in the sheet.  Spencer grabs a fireplace poker and pulls the sheet.  It’s Noel Kahn.

Noel demands his car keys.  When Spencer tells him to get out, Noel doesn’t budge.  He knows she isn’t going to call the cops because they will see what she is hiding there.  Noel can’t believe that she breaks into his car and steals from him, yet she thinks he is the bad guy.

Spencer asks why he has those photos and recording.  They know he broke into Hanna’s house and he’s been helping Ali.  Noel says that Spencer knows nothing.  He says Ali doesn’t know he has that stuff and he doesn’t want her to find out.

Spencer isn’t sure if Noel is working with Ali or not.  Noel says Ali likes to throw people away when she’s done using them.  He needs to be prepared.  Those photos are proof that Ali wasn’t kidnapped.  Spencer thinks Noel is going to blackmail Ali, but he says it is just insurance.  He needs it in case Ali turns on him.

 

Noel explains that Shana sent the photos and recordings to Jenna.  Ali asked Noel to break into Jenna’s bedroom and steal them.  Minutes later, the house blew up.  Ali keeps saying that Noel is lucky he got out of the house, but part of him wonders if she had something to do with the explosion.

Spencer asks what Ali is blackmailing Noel with, but Noel aggressively demands his keys back.  Spencer stabs him with the poker to keep him away from her.  She threatens to slit his face open.  Spencer says Noel is not the only one who needs insurance.  The girls need it too.  She promises to keep it in a much safer place than the lake house.  Spencer screams at him to leave.

Hanna is pouring another drink when Aria stops by.  Hanna asks what happened to the engagement party.  Aria says it’s nothing that hasn’t happened before.  Apparently Zach is a big jerk internationally.  Hanna isn’t trying to defend Zach, but she wants Aria to know that “A” stoked the fire.  Aria doesn’t think that matters.  Zach took the bait.

Hanna asks why Aria didn’t believe her.  Aria explains that it wasn’t that she didn’t believe Hanna.  It’s that she really wanted to believe that her mom could actually find someone again and be happy.  Hanna gets that.  Aria asks if Hanna can forgive her.  Crying, Hanna nods and hugs Aria.

Ali and Hanna’s mom come home from the canceled engagement party.  Ali thinks it’s weird that Aria’s mom got food poisoning right as people started to show up.  Ali thinks someone isn’t telling the truth.  Hanna’s mom gets a call from the Rosewood Police Department, asking her to bring Ali down to the station.  Hanna’s mom tells Ali that the police caught the person who broke in to the house last night.  

Ella is packing up her stuff and crying when Byron comes in.  Byron is surprised that Ella is there and not at the party.  When Ella tells him that she is no longer engaged, Byron comforts her and tells her that Zach doesn’t deserve her.  Byron holds her while she sobs.

Ali and Hanna’s mom arrive at the police station.  They listen in as Lt. Tanner interrogates her suspect.  His answers match up with Ali’s lies.  He says he blindfolded Ali, hit her on the back of the head with a rock, took her to Philadelphia and kept her locked up in his basement.  

Hanna’s mom asks Ali if that is the man who kidnapped her.

“A” is at the eye doctor’s office, waiting to be seen by the doctor.  While waiting, “A” listens to a recording of the police interrogating Ali.