Pretty Little Liars Review: “She’s Better Now”

Pretty Little Liars is back and there was more funny going on than thrilling. The two points I’m thinking of are Toby ominously skateboarding down the dark street (what the hell was that?) and Mona walking down the high school hallway, pickled brain on a nice, long knife while the entire school filmed her every move on their cell phones. Part of me wanted to check on YouTube to see if ABC Family would use it as a viral marketing campaign of some sort. Okay, I’m struggling not to look, so if you do and it’s there – tell me! If it’s not, what a missed opportunity.

My favorite part of the episode was Spencer stopping for a chat with her half brother, Jason. With Mona and he looking cozy, Spencer found it necessary to warn him. As she’s doing that, Jason was looking directly at Toby and I wondered what he knows about him and his involvement with Mona. At first blush, it would seem if he’s friendly with Mona, he might know what’s going on with them. But, that look wasn’t one of one insider to another, it was of skepticism and distrust. Jason already lost one little sister. Does he truly want to lose another one, even if it’s one he’s just getting to know?

Since Jason appeared in Rosewood, I’ve trusted him. There’s more to his story than the bad boy people thought he was as a kid and the man he has become. I just feel it in my bones. I didn’t have that feeling with Toby, and that turned out to be on the right track. I think Jason is turning to Mona because he just needs someone to be nice to him, and any friend is better than no friend at all. Then again, if I were living there, I’d probably be the next dead chick!

Another strange occurrence was the reaction of Byron after Aria asked him about his relationship with Alison. He could have just let the conversation end, and walked away. But this is Pretty Little Liars – instead, he stopped, turned around and glared at Aria with the strangest look on his face. It could have been the old bait and switch maneuver to make us contemplate his involvement with Alison, or it could really mean he knew her a little better than he let on. We never know with this show, do we? Alison’s diary indicated she was blackmailing him, but how truthful was she, even in her diary? If truth be told, when I was that age, I told white lies in my diary, what I wanted to be true if not exactly what was. Could it have been the same with Alison? Was her ego so unbound that she expected people to read her diary, and planted stories to meet her own ends, just as she manipulated people in real life to get what she wanted?

Being the wonderful father figure he is, Byron accused Aria and her friends of setting fire to a structure during a school function to try to hurt his old flame (ha) Meredith. Was it any surprise he chose Meredith’s side over his daughter’s? I can’t think of a time when he’s truly been there for Aria, and for that I’m sad. As he listened in at her door, it wasn’t fatherly concern, but more of a cover-your-own-ass or perish situation.

One final thing of note was that Jenna switched schools. Does that mean she’s going to take a back seat for the remainder of season three. That’s too bad, because I was finally starting to warm up to her hi-jinks and kind of had hope that she’d come around and see the right side of the whole “A” Team mess. Time will tell!