1. Game on, Charles

An unknown blonde girl watches from the shadows as the girls attempt to escape the dollhouse. ‘A’ locks them outside and leaves them at the mercy of the elements for two nights before ending the punishment. They are hardly relieved to go back inside, but see it as the better of two poor options. ‘A’ welcomes them “home” by gassing them again. The girls wake up hours later, posed on metal tables like bodies in a morgue. They are directed to their individual rooms where ‘A’ leaves them separated and confined for three weeks.

Back in Rosewood, proof of Mona’s life has allowed Alison to be released from jail. She publicly requests privacy during an emotional time. The police stay inside the DiLaurentis house in hopes that ‘A’ will show up if they believe Alison is unprotected. Unbeknownst to them, Alison’s public speech contains a covert message for 'A’ to meet her at the kissing rock. She, Caleb, Ezra, and Toby fake a call from ‘A’ to distract the police long enough for Alison to leave her house undetected. The liars are visibly shaken when they are finally released from their rooms.

‘A’ directs them to set up for Alison’s arrival. With the real Alison apparently on her way, Mona has been discarded and trapped in a hole. The girls read newspaper articles about their families, and the reminder of home inspires them to make another escape attempt. Spencer explains that each of the cryptic messages from Mona’s bedroom is an anagram for Charles DiLaurentis. She posits that they can use sentimental items from Charles’s vault to bargain for their freedom. During the nightly power lapse, the girls enter the vault and begin to light things on fire.

Charles pulls an alarm, and the girls find Mona before heading for the exit. Alison wears a trackable pair of shoes so Caleb and Ezra can follow her once ‘A’ takes her to the dollhouse. Things quickly go south, and the plan proves to be too risky. They’re about to give up when Alison hears the faint sound of a fire alarm. She, Caleb, and Ezra find the entrance to the dollhouse just as the five girls emerge, relieved to be safe at last. Police discover the mysterious blonde girl who introduces herself as Sara Harvey.