Pretty Little Liars: Game On, Charles

June 3, 2015 6:23 AM - Season 6, Episode 1

Moments after where the season five finale left off, Aria, Emily, Hanna, Spencer and Mona are trapped outside of Charles’ Dollhouse with nowhere to go and must now deal with an angry tormentor. Just when the Liars thought Charles couldn’t get any worse, his games take a more demented and darker turn. As the girls struggle to survive, the puzzle of Charles’ story begins to come together. Meanwhile, Ezra, Caleb and Toby continue the fight to find the girls with or without Rosewood P.D.’s help.

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posted by Bulgaroktonos (16 comments total)

Holy Jesus God that might be the second best episode of television I've ever seen (first was last season's finale obviously). WOW! I didn't have a ton of faith in the #SummerOfAnswers but boy I do now. I can't even process all the amazing stuff. Wow wow wow.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 6:28 AM on June 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

I mean obviously Sara is huge, that's just huge, but where does it go from here? Also, Mona in that well was basically just straight up Silence of the Lambs. Jesus. That got dark and creepy. I'm really glad she's okay (at least physically).
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 6:29 AM on June 3, 2015

This show is really hitting an unexpected stride these past few episodes. I think finally deciding actually to move the plot forward was a good choice. This episode was kind of shockingly dark, with Mona's Silence of the Lamb routine at the bottom of Charles's pit and the prospect that Charles had been keeping Sara Harvey in his lair for years pretending to be Ali. It's a weird juxtaposition with the idea that A "has a soul," in the show's chosen parlance, because of the contents of the vault. Sure, show us his "soul," but also how us him torturing a stranger because she happens to look (sort of) like Ali? Mixed messages, show.

Anyway, a fantastic episode, and I'm really looking forward to what happens now that they're out of the bunker, back teamed up with Mona, and (maybe?) teamed up with the police. I'd love for the Liars (including Mona) and Tanner to be working together, even a little bit.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 6:35 AM on June 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

I'm also assuming Andrew is NOT Charles since we didn't see his face and Toby state authoritatively that he was; what do you think his role is? Lackey? FBI agent? Boyfriend?

Great use of the youmaybeadudebutyourestillabitch tag, by the way.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 6:39 AM on June 3, 2015

Yeah, I'm super glad that they are all working with Mona instead of against her now. I like them together and I'm glad she's back.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 6:40 AM on June 3, 2015

Great use of the youmaybeadudebutyourestillabitch tag, by the way.

I loved that and the way Hanna said it. It was delightful.

I do wonder what the long term effects of being there are going to be on them, especially Mona. Mona, who has seemed so strong and confident, seemed broken in that pit. Her calling up to Charles promising to be a good Ali was really heartbreaking.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 7:07 AM on June 3, 2015

Oh yeah, that was really tough, and her singing to herself and everything, plus she's had some serious mental health issues before.

SPEAKING OF WHICH, the sale of Radley just kind of happened in the background but that's got to come up as important, right? I really, really hope so!
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 7:20 AM on June 3, 2015

OH GOD DO YOU THINK IT'S WREN? Probably not but it could be! I hope that means he and Jason aren't twins because if so Spencer made out with her half-brother and Melissa was engaged to him and YUCK.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 7:21 AM on June 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

Wren is an interesting idea. It would be weird if Charles turned out to be someone we already knew, but also Charles. I don't know. Keeping the mask on him makes me suspicious that that's what's going on.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 7:32 AM on June 3, 2015

Yeah, same here, although maybe it's just so we have SOME sort of reveal. The absolute worst thing that could happen is having Charles be trans* because the last thing we need is another show equating being trans* with being evil or devious. I really don't think PLL would do that and I really hope they don't but it's a fear. As long as that doesn't happen it'll be okay. Any other guesses as to who it could be?
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 8:26 AM on June 3, 2015

Oh, also, do you think they'll work the Nos Feratu Omnibus club in again? Remember when that was a thing? Melissa and maybe Jason and that dead cop I think? It feels like it could tie back in if Charles is Ali and Jason's brother -- he'd be the right age based on the prom and he does see everything. Maybe it's something he saw that made him go off the deep end?
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 8:28 AM on June 3, 2015

For the record, its "Nos Animadverto Totus"

It feels like it could tie back in if Charles is Ali and Jason's brother -- he'd be the right age based on the prom and he does see everything. Maybe it's something he saw that made him go off the deep end?

But why would no one remember or talk about him? I feel like he must have been in the lair since forever, but I guess he could have been living under a different identity or something? I think the thing that drives him must be older than the NAT club, but there's probably a connection. The theme of constant surveillance is too strong.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 8:58 AM on June 3, 2015

That said, thinking about it two of the three core NAT members are dead, both killed by A.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 9:00 AM on June 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

SEE? I think this is going to matter. I don't know what he's been doing in the interim but I think that's tied up somehow.

What do we know about Charles?

-He's a DiLaurentis
-He's around Jason's age
-He was with his family when he was little but not growing up
-Ali doesn't seem to know him (based on "next time on...")
-He's creepily obsessed with her
-He is great with technology
-The prom for Melissa's class matters to him (this ties in with the NAT club)

Anything else? Any old stuff that might matter now? Sara's relevant and it seems like the NAT club might come back and Radley seems like it's part of things. Remember back in the second (I think) season when Mona acted like she was tracking Ali but really Ali was tracking Mona? Has this been going on that long? I guess it has since he's clearly pretty prepared. If Ali was searching for someone, why? What made her realize there was something to find?

Unanswered questions:

-Who is Charles? Have we met him before?
-Why didn't he grow up with the DiLaurentis family?
-Did his mother still know him? It seems like she must have since who else could she have been protecting? I know that they thought it had to be Jason or Ali but Charles makes sense too.
-Remember that second dress Ali found in the Christmas episode? Why was it two dresses and not two sets of boys' clothes? Does this have to do with Bethany?
-What is Bethany's relationship to the family?
-What's up with Radley?
-What really happened with Toby's mom? She died at Radley -- that might matter?
-WHY? Why would Charles do all this?

Anything else I'm missing? Is there anything that explains something else? For example, does Radley tie up with Charles? Was he sent there as a child? It might explain some things. Any other characters, like Sara, who were brought up and then dropped who might be important? I think Wren is going to matter again somehow. Jenna? Is she part of anything? I'd guess no but who can be sure? Lucas?

After we finish Twin Peaks do we maybe want to go back and re-watch PLL from the beginning? There might be something we're missing.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 10:02 AM on June 3, 2015

Ok, finally caught up! And Hulu+ seems to have current episodes again without making me connect to a TV provider or some crap, so maybe I can stay up to date.

I absolutely feel like there has been no grand plan from the beginning, and the writers are just winging it every season.

Also, will the girls ever learn that when you are in a big dark scary place, possibly trying to hunt down people who might want to murder you, the correct plan is NOT to split up. FFS.

I am a bit surprised this rescue from the dollhouse happened so fast.
posted by ktkt at 11:26 PM on June 8, 2015

I am a bit surprised this rescue from the dollhouse happened so fast.

I kind of was too but the whole time there was, of necessity I think, fairly dark, and I'm not sure how much else they could have done in that space. I think it would have turned into escape attempt >> punishment >> escape attempt >> punishment on a loop and gotten old very quickly. It also seems like maybe they're going to be doing flashbacks to their experiences there (including their "surprises", I assume) on tonight's episode. I seriously seriously cannot wait!
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 8:16 AM on June 9, 2015