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Pretty Little Liars Review: “Hot For Teacher” (Season 4, Episode 18)

Pretty Little Liars has moved away from subtly pursuing the 'Ezra is evil' lead to full on throwing it in our faces. And, it's not particularly a good look for the show. Part of why PLL is equal parts frustrating and compelling is that you never know what's going to happen until it does. It's what keeps fans coming back week after week, season after season, for more - Pretty Little Liars is an addiction, not a fling.

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Besides the obvious twisted nature of Ezra being A, there’s also the emotional toll that it is already taking on the Liars. Spencer (Troian Bellisario) is the first to connect the dots and although there are some holes in her research, she has concocted a theory that at least deserves some investigation – and is willing to try some unorthodox methods of extending her day to include enough time to do so.

No doubt Mr. Fitz (or someone equally creepy) will use Spencer’s recent bout with prescription pills to his (their) advantage. How hard is it to discredit someone with a drug problem? Yet the facts speak for themselves, if Ezra wasn’t involved in something sketchy, why would someone be pointing a hidden camera at his doorstep? Silver lining, it’s the first time the Liars have actively known they were being watched.

It’s a good thing that the Liars aren’t easily scared though. Hannah (Ashley Benson) is still understandably spooked by her recent dental mishap, but she’s still open to being backup for Spencer who intends to prove this wayward hypothesis. Shana (Aeriel Miranda), on the other hand, isn’t so keen on the idea of being threatened, which is a little odd considering she’s been in this covert position spying for Ali all this time. After she is drugged and left at the side of the road with a not-so-subtle message to leave town, she flees. This leaves Alison in a predicament. For the first time, she appears genuinely startled. She’s running out of resources and allies, and without Shana’s help, is running out of time.

Hopefully what this means is that Alison will have no other choice but to rely on the Liars to keep her safe. Even with everything they’ve been through and their mixed feelings on the subject, it still seems like they would do almost anything for Ali. Ali needs the money and contact info that is now in Emily’s (Shay Mitchell) possession, and she’s never been shy at doing whatever it takes to get what she wants.

There’s also the interesting development of additional periphery characters becoming more predominant. Officer Holbrook (Sean Faris) has been MIA lately, but he’s come back into the picture attempting to purge his guilty conscious by killing Hannah with kindness. As the only notable authority figure currently on Pretty Little Liars it’s hard to tell whether he’s completely trustworthy or if history is doomed to be repeated, yet it would be nice as the Liars close in on A if they had someone with even slight clout on their side.

The other newer character worth noting is the high school guidance counselor – Jesse (Wes Ramsey). He seems harmless enough, but Ezra’s reaction to him may have spiked your suspicion meter. Along with his role in positioning Mike and Mona on the same side, you have every right to be concerned, or at the very least, intrigued.

Do you think Spencer was right to follow her suspicions? Will Aria figure it out before it’s too late? Is Ezra the moon-walking bear? Let us know all your theories on Pretty Little Liars in the comment section below!