The Liars lived a happy A-free life for 3 months while Mona was in Radley receiving treatment. One day whilst the Liars are at dinner, their phones all buzz at the exact same time, which is odd as this hasn't happened since Mona was wearing the hoodie. Thankfully, it was only Mona's nurse, informing them that Mona is scheduled to be released from Radley next week and Mona wishes to explain herself privately before they all bump shoulders in the school hallway. Spencer, Aria and Emily are quick to reject Mona's proposal for a meet-up, insisting they wish to look to the future without being reminded of darker times. Hanna successfully convinces her friends that visiting Mona is the right thing to do, as it will not only be therapeutic for Mona, but it will provide the missing closure that has caused numerous restless nights for her.


Mona greets the Liars with a smile and she sincerely thanks them for attending. Mona can sense the tension so she doesn't hesitate to get right to the point: "Everything I ever did to you was entirely out of love," begins Mona. Aria instantly snaps, and demands an explanation as to how ruining her parent's marriage was an act of love. The nurse warns Aria to calm down. Mona continues: "When Alison crowned me as Rosewood's Loser Mona, she stole my chances of ever making real friends in this small town. There was no stopping Ali... another day, another horrible lie about Mona. I couldn't take it anymore, I just wanted it all to end." Mona removes her bracelets to reveal to the girls the healing slits on her wrist, which she had always done an amazing job of hiding at school with bracelets and makeup. "I'm only alive and sitting in this chair because of you four." The girls look at each other with total confusion and there is a moment of silence, hoping Mona will elaborate.

"Everyone in Rosewood laughed every time Ali called me Loser Mona… everyone except you four. I've read her diary and she was an A-grade bitch even to each of you. You're only kidding yourselves if you think Alison was a true friend to you. I could hear it in the words you never said... you hated that Ali bullied me. It was obvious you wanted to stand up to her, but I never blamed you for feeling scared." The Liars look at each other with a look of agreement on their faces. Mona is right about Ali. It feels weird that someone is verbalising it.

"One day Ali disappeared and I thought that would be the perfect time for me to finally gain your friendship without Ali possibly being able to stop me. But you four drifted over summer. You barely even recognised each other on the first day of school. Seeing you all together at Ali's funeral was the most beautiful sight but I knew that if I didn't make a move in that moment before you all got in separate cars, this group fall apart again. All it took was one text to super-glue you four back together." Hanna sheds a tear as she begins to understand how this was simply just a strange game of wanting acceptance.

"Once you re-confirmed your love for one another I began sending myself texts to ease my transition into your group. We were no longer just exchanging algebra notes, we were saving each other's lives. That's pretty special, isn't it?" Mona looks for a nod from at least one person but she doesn't get it yet, so she continues. "But I was never going to let anything truly bad ever happen to you. I mean, that would just defeat my purpose of wanting your friendship.' Mona now whispers this next part: "I know I took things too far sometimes and no one feels worse about that than me, but I literally killed to keep you guys safe. Sorry Ian." Spencer can't hold back her small smile of appreciation as she learns that Mona saved her life. Mona also adds that when the game got out of hand and Spencer got in legal trouble, she sent her the picture of Ian choking her, hoping she'd claim self-defence and win the court case.

"I was going to stop this craziness as soon as I finally felt loved and accepted by all of you. I never meant for it to end this way. I realise I took an extreme road to obtaining your love, but blame Alison. Not me. Look at the desperation for acceptance she instilled in me. We're all good people here." Mona then proceeds to explain how all she is asking of them is to not stare her up and down when she comes back to school next week.

Emily buts in and asks Mona why she began framing them for Alison's murder, as that seems pretty serious and beyond just a craving for love and acceptance. "You guys were never going to go to jail for Ali's murder. That's just not possible," begins Mona. "You dug up some pretty incriminating evidence, Mona. Fake evidence," Emily insists. "Haven't you all felt it? You guys, Alison is..." and the nurse cuts off Mona from finishing her sentence, as visiting hours are now over. The Liars beg for 30 more seconds but Mona's nurse is very strict in adhering to the terms of Mona's stay.

As they forcibly walk out, all the Liars' phones buzz at the exact same time, just like 3 months ago. "How cute! Mona wanted your friendship. I want your blood. Let the games begin, bitches. -A" They look back to see Mona smiling and waving goodbye, appearing satisfied at her confrontation with the girls. One things was clear: Mona couldn't have sent that text.


(Note that on Mona's first day back at school, Hanna asks her to finish that sentence: "Alison is..." But Mona insists that she doesn't know what Hanna is talking about.)

A dark and gloomy scene instantly begins of a Red Coat pressing their black boot up against the neck of a man lying on the ground. The camera pans across to reveal a black hoodie standing next to Red Coat. The black hoodie is dusting the smoke off the gun in their hand. The camera pans back to reveal Detective Wilden with a bullet in his head.

A funeral is held for Detective Wilden and the Liars attend in a move to avoid speculation that they had something to do with his death. They fear that the police's theory will be that they killed Wilden, just like they killed Ali, to silence him from closing Ali's case on them. Seconds before the funeral begins, a woman in a black veil enters and takes her seat alone in the far back left of the church. The Liars are confused as to who would conceal their identity at a funeral, and why.

This premiere episode closes on a Black Hoodie putting their gun in a safe and a Red Coat locking it. As the camera pans away, the same black veil costume from the funeral is seen lying on the couch, implying either the black hoodie or Red Coat; Wilden's true killer, attended the funeral.

Season 3 is dedicated to the new A playing a more dangerous version of the game that Mona played with them. Mona's threats were never truly life threatening, as Mona needed the girls alive to win their love. This A is determined to pin Wilden's murder on the girls and A does this by anonymously passing on incriminating (but fake) evidence to the Rosewood Police for every failure at blackmailed tasks. The girls therefore become more determined than ever to prove they never killed Ali, as proving their innocence in Ali's murder would therefore clear their name in Wilden's murder case too: they did not kill Wilden to shut him up for him telling they killed Ali. Intense seasons are spent in this World War A: A wants to see the liars physically suffer and A wants them behind bars for multiple murder cases. Episodes are spent going back and fourth: A attacks, the Liars retaliate.


The show gives their first and only Halloween episode in season 3. Rosewood High is celebrating Halloween on a train and the entire cohort is invited on board for a night of music, drinks and dress up. Spencer begins to feel claustrophobic on the dance floor so she steps out to get some air and on her way to the isolated bathroom she is choked from behind by someone in a Red Coat and Spencer falls to the ground. The camera returns to the dance floor and the girls eventually notice that Spencer has been gone for an unusually long time. Then the text comes in: "Guess who's not gonna make it to the end of the line. A" The rest of the episode is spent trying to find Spencer and surprisingly, it is Mona who finds Spencer and tells the Liars where she is: at the back of the train. The Liars run to the back of the train and they see a person in a Red Coat trying to push a box off the train. The girls hear Spencer's scream and they assume Spencer to be in that box. As the Liars come closer, the Red Coat fears for their identity so flees by jumping off the moving train. (Note that the train is not moving at insane speeds, as it is hosting a party on board!) The Liars work together to rebalance the box before it tips off the train and they break down the box with hammers, successfully saving Spencer. Mona calls the police for help which leads Hanna to insist that Mona wouldn't be behind this, however Aria reminds Hanna that that's what Mona would want her to think. The train comes to a stop and everyone gets off as per police orders. When speaking to the police, the Liars give Mona's name as their prime suspect behind this attack - how else did their former enemy find Spencer so fast?

Also in season 3, A begins sending Toby messages, revealing that his mother, Marion, did not actually commit suicide like he had been told - instead, she was killed by a Radley patient one night on the rooftop of Radley. If Toby wishes to know who this killer is, he must do as A says. Indeed, Toby is aware that A may be lying, but, in the odd chance A is saying the truth, he will comply with A's orders "no matter what". This is a recurring story throughout the season and he gets himself and Spencer into a few close calls.


In the season 3 finale at exactly 5:00pm, the Liars receive a text which reads: "You've seen my love for games, but this isn't one of them. Be there tonight, or else she dies. -A." The Liars see the attachment which is a set of coordinates and a photo of a terrified Mona. Aria tries to convince the group that this is a trap set by the same old Mona, but Spencer is quick to declare that it's not worth the risk and they'll never know for sure unless they go. Hanna smiles at Spencer for having a progressive attitude towards their former enemy. The Liars stealthily enter the Lodge through the side door, thinking they can get a sneak peak as to what is happening inside but as soon as they step inside, a jump-scare occurs where Mona pops out from around the corner in her black hoodie. "What the hell is this?" Hanna mutters. Aria's face is easy to read: this was a trap… I told you so. Mona's phone vibrates as she receives a text reading "I told you they would come... they do care about you. Offer them a drink, but first take their phones. Everything is going to plan. -A."

Mona demands that the Liars hand over their phones, or else her boss won't be happy. Hanna accuses Mona of being behind the attack on the Halloween train and Mona repeats her instructions, louder. Out of fear of the unknown, the Liars do as Mona says; one by one they hand over their phones. The Liars are shocked to see that Mona is taking only their plastic phone cases and she is quickly and discretely returning their actual phones to them. Mona places the phone cases in a clear plastic bag and takes a picture of the bag from a safely un-perceivable distance. She sends the picture to her boss with the caption "done". Mona subtly winks to the girls: Mona is on their side.

Playing along, Hanna asks Mona what they are doing here in this house. "I'm not going to spoil the surprise! I'll make us some tea while we wait," says Mona. Hanna can tell that Mona is going off a pre-prepared script as her eyebrows were unusually high and her chin was subtly shaking. While Mona is in the next room preparing the tea, Hanna whispers to Spencer, the fastest typer of the group, to text for help with her phone that Mona never truly confiscated. Spencer pulls out her phone and alone, in the corner of the room, Spencer is not seen contacting a familiar contact such as her parents or the police. "Mona fooled us both. What do I do, boss?" reads Spencer's text.

The Liars begin to smell an intense burning aroma which can't be Mona's tea. They turn to face the back wall of the Lodge and suddenly it violently erupts into flames. Mona rushes out from the kitchen and slaps Spencer, knocking her out. The Liars scream out of fear and confusion as to what Mona just did to their friend Spencer: is Mona on their side or not?

"I know I haven't fully earned your trust yet, but tonight I'm going to prove my innocence. I need you to believe me when I tell you that that's not Spencer," declares Mona. "I know it sounds insane but I bet my life on that. Does the Spencer you know have massive bruises along both legs?" Mona points to the bruises that are now visible on the knocked out Spencer on the ground. "We need to get out of here right now. Her escape route is just through that room. Follow me or die in here with her," instructs Mona.

Mona successfully guides Aria and Hanna out of the burning Lodge however the three girls are shocked when they look back and see that Emily is not behind them. Mona, who insists on going back inside to save Emily, is stopped by Hanna who points to a blonde in a red coat in the distance, dragging Emily's body along the ground away from the fire. Mona, Aria and Hanna rush to Emily's aid which sends the blonde in the red coat sprinting to protect her identity. When Mona asks Emily who saved her, Emily very assertively says "Alison".

Mona, Aria, Emily and Hanna cough out the smoke in their lungs and stand back to watch the Lodge blow up. Aria, confused as hell, screams out Spencer's name in fear they left their best friend in the explosion. Mona rallies the girls together and hugs them, reminding them that no matter how hard to believe, whoever that was inside there was not truly Spencer. Aria asks Mona what the hell she is talking about and the shot pauses on Aria and Mona before doing a time-warp back to 4pm earlier that day. The answer to Aria's question is served through a flashback to earlier that day.

A park ranger finds a broken down Spencer in the middle of the woods and she is repeatedly mouthing "Toby". The park ranger assesses Spencer as psychologically disturbed and therefore he rushes her to Radley, in urgent need of psychological and even physical care. Her test showed symptoms of depression and unresolved grief and so Spencer is assigned a doctor for a therapy program at Radley: Dr. Wren Kingston.

Wren enters Spencer's private room at Radley to greet her. As he sits down, he opens his thick folder of patient files. Placed on top is a file with a photo of Spencer, labelled with the name Alex Hastings. Wren violently closes that file and places it to the back of his pile, bringing out the correct file of Spencer Hastings.

Back in the present, the finale ends on a close up of Alex Hastings' dead body burning away in the Lodge. This is why Spencer dismissed Aria's concerns and insisted they walk into A's trap and go to the lodge - that never truly was Spencer: it was Alex Hastings. The question remains, however: how did Mona know that was Alex and not Spencer in the lodge? Season 3 is ending on the note that Alison is probably alive, Spencer is in Radley, and Spencer has a (dead) identical twin.