Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Recap of PLL 6x10 “Game Over, Charles”: CeCe Drake, AKA Charlotte, is "A"

In Pretty Little Liars "Game Over, Charles" episode 6x10 we finally come face-to-face with “A” and hear “A”’s backstory.  The huge reveal is that “A” is CeCe Drake.  Red Coat and the Black Widow are actually the same person: Sara Harvey.  We find out who killed Bethany Young, who hit Alison on the head with the rock and who murdered Toby's mom.

“Game Over, Charles” starts with the Liars and Alison running to a rooftop.  They find “A”, wearing a black hoodie, ready to jump off the edge.  The police show up on the street below.

Surprisingly, the Liars try to save “A”’s life.  Alison promises to help “A”.  Spencer says that the game isn’t over, even if they now know who “A” is.  Aria knows Charles has spent his whole life trying to get back to his family and it isn’t too late.  Hanna heard “A”’s story and she understands.

Charles prepares to jump off the building and all the girls scream.

Flashback to earlier that night at prom.  The Liars call the DiLaurentis house, but no one answers.  The girls have no idea that their moms are still trapped in the DiLaurentis basement. 

At the dance, Aria realizes that they aren’t alone.  Someone is watching them.  Turns out it is Mona, dressed as Little Red Riding Hood.

Mona has been following Alison since yesterday morning.  She’s been blue snarfing Alison and saw that Alison received texts from Charles.  Unfortunately, she lost Alison when the Liars jumped Clark.  Unlike Aria, Mona already knew Clark was a cop from the bulge in his pants. 

Mona was able to decrypt the signal source.  Charles has his own cellular network.  The servers are located at the Carissimi Group.  The Liars head to the Carissimi office and Sara says she’ll call Lt. Tanner. 

Alison wakes up in Radley.  There are photos on the wall of her with her mom when she was little.  Alison looks through the bars on the door and sees her dad and Jason unconscious on the floor.

At the Carissimi office, the girls try to guess the security code for the door.  They try Charles’s birthday and Mrs. DiLaurentis’s birthday, but those don’t work.  Sara suggests that they try September 7.  Charles gave her a red, white and blue cupcake five days after he took her.  Charles gave her a cupcake every year on 9/7. 

That code opens the door and the Liars enter an empty room.  A secret panel opens and leads them into another room.  Hanna wonders if they just walked into “A”’s brain.  They notice a security camera on the wall and realize that “A” probably knows they are there.  Sara doesn’t come in with them and she waits outside the door.  The door suddenly closes, separating the Liars from Sara.

Credit: Instagram

The Liars watch a hologram showing a live video feed of Alison talking to “A”.  Alison, looking at Jason and her dad, asks “A” why her brother and dad were killed. 

“A” turns around and we see that Charles DiLaurentis is CeCe Drake.  Alison doesn’t understand why CeCe would do this to her.  They were supposed to be BFFs.  Alison risked everything to help CeCe escape the country.  CeCe doesn’t think a passport and a plane ticket amounted to very much.  Besides, she doesn’t want to talk about Alison.  Tonight is all about CeCe Drake.

CeCe looks into the camera and sings to the Liars “Lord help the mister who comes between me and my sister”.

The Liars realize Lt. Tanner won’t show up and help them.  They suspect that Lt. Tanner is working with CeCe, since someone must have helped CeCe escape police custody.

CeCe claims that no one ever understood how much she loved Alison.  Charles never left Alison’s side from the moment she was born.  He viewed Alison as his own living doll.  And when his doll was sad, he was sad too. 

In a flashback, we see Charles having a tea party.  Alison, who is a baby in the flashback, cries in her crib.  Charles tried to get his mom’s attention, but she was outside and couldn’t hear anything.  A bath always made Charles feel better, so he started the water and put Alison in the tub.  He accidentally dropped Alison into the water and their dad rushed in and rescued Alison.

After that incident, Kenneth and Jessica DiLaurentis had Charles commited to Radley.  Jessica DiLaurentis told Charles that she would always love him.  Jessica was clearly devastated to leave Charles at Radley, but Kenneth thought it had to be done.  It wasn’t the first time Charles did something like that.  Kenneth couldn’t risk Charles harming Jason or baby Alison.

Back in the present, CeCe insists that Alison drowning in the bathtub was an accident.  She thinks their dad used that as an excuse to get rid of her.  She always used to ask their mom to buy her dresses, but their dad refused.  She would play dress up in their mom’s closet, but Kenneth caught her one day.  He never visited her in Radley.

CeCe assures Alison that Jason and Kenneth are still alive.  They can hear everything, but they can’t move.  Watching the live feed of this conversation, Mona realizes that CeCe must have used that same drug on her when she was stuffed in the trunk of the car and taken to the dollhouse.  Jason and Kenneth are now in a living nightmare that they can’t wake up from.  The Liars feel sorry for Jason, but not for Alison's dad.

Jessica DiLaurentis and Aunt Carol visited Radley, but CeCe spent the next seven years basically alone.  Turns out one of the yellow dresses Alison found when she was little was for CeCe.  Their mom would buy Alison and CeCe matching outfits.

We get another flashback of a young Charles wearing a dress and a scarf on the roof of Radley.  Charles is talking to Bethany Young and they both think up ways to escape Radley.  Toby Cavanaugh’s mom, Marion, comes up to the rooftop.  Charles hides, since he can’t have anyone see him in a dress.  Bethany Young decides to pushes Toby’s mom off the roof.  Bethany then blames Charles for pushing Toby’s mom off the roof.  No one believed Charles, so Jessica DiLaurentis paid Officer Wilden to make sure the death was ruled a suicide.  Charles was diagnosed with intermittent explosive disorder after that, which would have been an accurate diagnosis for Bethany Young.

Spencer is furious that Mrs. DiLaurentis sacrificed Toby for Charles.  Thinking his own mother chose to leave him traumatized and changed Toby.  Mrs. DiLaurentis treated people like dolls and Charles must have learned that from her.

Charles spent the next two years doped up on tranquilizers.  At that point, Mrs. DiLaurentis decided to help Charles by faking his death.  They had a funeral and symbolically buried Charles in Aunt Carol’s backyard.  Charles became Charlotte and was taken back to Radley. 

Mrs. DiLaurentis convinced Radley to let CeCe (Charlotte) out to attend classes at UPenn.  CeCe quickly became bored of school.  One day classes were cancled because of a bomb threat.  CeCe took that opportunity to sneak back to Rosewood.  She flirted with Jason and ended up dating him.  She’s quick to clarify that she never actually slept with Jason, though.

Jessica DiLaurentis didn’t know CeCe was Charlotte until the day the DiLaurentis family left for their summer trip to Cape May.  Jason invited his girlfriend, CeCe, on the trip.  Jessica is scared of Kenneth’s reaction, but Kenneth doesn’t recognize CeCe.

Alison and CeCe grew close that summer (remember Alison's pregnancy scare?).  Alison doesn’t get why CeCe wouldn’t have told her the truth.  CeCe was going to tell Alison who she really was, but Bethany Young ruined everything.  Bethany found out that Jessica was having an affair with her dad.  She stole CeCe’s clothes and snuck out of Radley to hurt Jessica.  CeCe rushed to the DiLaurentis house to save her mom.  She saw Alison, mistook her for Bethany, and hit her on the head with a rock.

Jessica covered up for CeCe and buried Alison in the yard.  Crying, CeCe begged her mom to forgive her.  Jessica wasn’t ready to forgive CeCe, but she helped protect her.  Once again, Jessica bribed Officer Wilden to keep quiet about Alison's death.  Officer Wilden took CeCe back to Radley. 

CeCe thought it would take a while for her mom to forgive her, but she didn’t realize that her mom wouldn’t ever completely forgive her for killing Alison.

Crying, Mona realizes that she killed Bethany Young.  Mona saw Bethany in the yard, but thought she was Alison.  At that moment, she kept hearing every awful thing Alison ever said to her.  In a blind rage, Mona hit her with a shovel.  If CeCe hit Alison, then the person Mona hit and killed must have been Bethany Young.  Spencer, pissed that Bethany killed Toby’s mom, reassures Mona and tells her that Bethany wasn’t an innocent person.  Spencer doesn’t tell Mona that Melissa was the one who ultimately killed Bethany Young, since Melissa buried Bethany Young alive in a misguided attempt to protect Spencer.



Mona finds out that CeCe had unlimited money to torture the Liars because of some great investments.  Apparently, CeCe is the real Wolf of Wall Street.  Also, Rhys Matthews is legit.  CeCe hired him as a decoy.
 
CeCe was already locked up in Radley again when Mona was admitted.  Mona was completely drugged, so it was easy for CeCe to manipulate her.  Mona thought CeCe was Alison.  CeCe got Mona to tell her about the Liars.  CeCe was furious when Mona said the Liars were happy that Alison was gone.  The Liars were supposed to be Alison’s friends.  CeCe thinks the Liars got what they deserved. 

CeCe stopped visiting Mona when Mona went off her meds.  She couldn’t trust Mona.  After all, Hanna was Mona’s legit friend.  That didn’t stop Mona from running Hanna over with her car.  Where’s the loyalty in that?  Still, CeCe needed Mona’s help to get out of Radley.  She sent Mona riddles and twisted rhymes and used Mona to carry out her plans. 

Mona apologizes to Hanna for hitting her with her car.  Hanna knows Mona’s sorry.  Looks like everything is forgiven between the former besties.

Eventually, CeCe noticed a blonde in a red coat watching the Liars.  She knew Alison would show up if the Liars were in trouble, so CeCe lured the Liars to the Thornhill Lodge to see if Alison was really alive.

CeCe used a decoy, Red Coat, to distract the Liars.  CeCe reveals that Sara Harvey is Red Coat.  It was Sara’s job to keep Mona busy while CeCe trapped the Liars in the lodge.  Then Shana showed up and all hell broke loose.  Emily, watching the hologram, immediately denies that Sara could be Red Coat.


Alison asks why CeCe kept playing the “A” game if she really did care about her.  New York was the perfect chance to end the “A” game.  The Liars thought “A” was dead and CeCe left the country.  CeCe couldn’t stop playing, though.  The “A” game was like a drug and she was really good at playing.

CeCe attacked Alison in her living room because Alison was about to leave Rosewood and CeCe couldn’t lose Alison again.  CeCe insists that she isn’t a bad person.  She only got mad when Alison didn’t listen.  Even though she crashed a car into Emily’s house and almost froze Aria and Spencer to death, none of them actually died.  CeCe loves all her dolls, which is why the Liars are still alive.

Of course, CeCe isn’t against killing when she thinks it is necessary.  She had to shut Wilden up when he found out Alison was still alive.  In another reveal, we find out that Sara Harvey is also the Black Widow.  CeCe sent Sara to Wilden’s funeral to make sure he was really dead.


At this point, even Emily can’t deny that Sara Harvey can’t be trusted.  Spencer realizes that Sara never called Lt. Tanner because she was working for “A” the whole time.

A motion detector goes off and the Liars see Red Coat setting up a bomb.  CeCe plans to blow up Radley.  The Liars find a way out of the Carissimi room, with a little help from Mona’s awesome stiletto heel that’s actually a weapon.  The Liars race out to get to Alison, but Mona stays behind.  She wants to continue watching the hologram and get more answers.

CeCe continues her story and we find out she didn’t kill Jessica DiLaurentis.  CeCe came home to find Jessica already dead.  CeCe was devastated to lose the only person who ever really loved her.

At this point, CeCe is ready to blow up Radley and take Alison, Jason and Kenneth down with her.  Luckily, the Liars arrive just in time to stop the bomb.

The Liars confront Sara Harvey, who is busy activating the bomb.  Luckily, one of Spencer's many skills includes bomb deactivation.  Spencer successfully deactivates the bomb.  Alison comes running out and begs her friends to help her with CeCe, who is up on the roof.  Sara claims that she tried to keep Emily safe.  Unable to hold back her anger, Emily punches Sara.


The Liars race to the roof and try to convince CeCe not to jump off.  CeCe climbs down from the ledge and says “Game over”.


Guess the Liars really didn’t go to graduation because we skip straight to the girls leaving Rosewood and heading off to college.  Emily is going to Pepperdine University, so she packs tons of flip flops for sunny California.  Aria is heading to Savannah and Spencer is heading to Georgetown.  Alison is staying in Rosewood. 

The Liars exchange heartfelt goodbyes and Spencer quotes Winne the Pooh with “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard”.

Flash forward to five years later.  Alison, now married, is a teacher.  Her new name is Mrs. Rollins.  (Did Alison marry psychologist Dr. Rollins?).  The Liars, who came back to Rosewood to help save Alison from someone who is after her, rush into her classroom.  It’s too late, they say.  He’s already here. 

What did you think of CeCe Drake, aka Charlotte, being revealed as “A”?  Were you surprised that Sara Harvey is both Red Coat and the Black Widow?  Do you think Sara helped CeCe because they were friends or was she coerced?  How could CeCe have kept Sara in the dollhouse while she was also locked away at Radley, assuming Bethany really was kidnapped around Labor Day?  And who do you think really killed Jessica DiLaurentis? 

2 comments:

  1. omfg CC drake was charles dilaurentis this whole time!?! & he/she dated his own brother!? wtf. "that's why he was so angry" lol. mona killed bethany who killed toby's mom! 5 years later, spencer has bangs! nooooooo!!1! wtf is going on? (where was jenna??)

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    1. It would have been great if Jenna was in the finale. Jenna acted shady for years on PLL. What ever happened to the whole Jenna and Sydney thing? Would have loved to see Noel and Lucas in the episode too.

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