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We have to solve this puzzle before the cops can solve Dunhill's murder.
Aria to the Liars about the board game

Power Play is the fourteenth episode of Season 7 of Pretty Little Liars. It aired on May 9th, 2017.

Synopsis

Ali’s turn at the game forces her to face a monumental personal decision, made even more difficult when A.D. triggers Ali to remember a forgotten trauma. Spencer has a long overdue conversation with her father about his past sins and recent whereabouts. Emily continues to navigate working at Rosewood High with both Ali and Paige, especially when Ali comes to a troubling realization about her pregnancy, and Paige makes a big decision. Aria continues to question the fate of her relationship with Ezra and bristles under A.D.’s taunts. And, in the search for Mary Drake, Hanna and Spencer run into a familiar face with a shocking secret.[1]

Plot

Episode 14 Power Play 0085

Aria and Alison stare at the game board

Ezra enters his apartment due to Aria telling him Nicole came back to his apartment. Ezra greets her with gratitude for letting him know and Aria tells him that whatever he has or hasn't told Nicole about their relationship, Nicole is going to find out they're together because of the pictures in his apartment and her clothes in his closet. Aria begins to leave, but Ezra tells her she doesn't have to, she informs him that she is not sleeping on the couch and leaves. Aria goes over to Alison's house, she tells Alison and says she understands why Ezra wants to help Nicole. Alison asks Aria if she has eaten, Aria tells her she's not hungry and Alison says that she asked if she had eaten, not if she was hungry. Alison goes to the kitchen but is stopped by the Liars' Lament game board being moved into her house, unknown to the Liars. The game starts up and begins as if it's malfunctioned. Aria questions if it actually has, but Alison believes it's just deciding. Alison calls Spencer in the morning to inform her of the board game now being in Alison's house. Spencer questions if the fact that it got moved to Alison's house, means it's her turn. Alison tells her that it hasn't decided whose turn it is yet. Marco, the detective who Spencer is sleeping with, asks her if she's always up so early. Spencer whispers good morning to him and Alison asks who she is talking to. Spencer lies that it's nobody and tells her she has to go but will call her back. Alison hangs up as she stares at the board game.

Episode 14 Power Play 0177

Emily gets ready for work as Hanna worries about not getting her puzzle piece

In the Hastings' barn, Spencer asks how he slept, he responds that he slept fine. They kiss and he gets a call from a case and is due in earlier than expected, she then asks what case it is but he can't say. At Lucas' loft, Hanna makes toast as she talks to Lucas on the phone. Lucas asks if Caleb is okay and she says that he is doing better and got sent home last night. Lucas believes it's his fault for the meeting go wrong and losing investors. Hanna tells him that it's not his fault as she should have been there. Emily asks Hanna if her top smells dirty, she was supposed to do laundry but she was following Sydney until 4 a.m. Hanna informs Emily of a coffee stain on the back of the top and questions how it got there. Emily tells her that another colleague tripped in the teachers lounge and spilled coffee on her top. She takes off her top and Hanna throws her another one. Hanna asks if Sydney led them to Jenna. Emily jokes "Not unless Jenna lives in the bathroom of Greyhound bus." as that's where Sydney left the tracker Emily and Aria secretly put on her. Emily complains that A.D. is still one step ahead and she's now 40 minutes late for work. Emily takes toast and gets ready to leave. Hanna worries about being the first one to not complete her turn. Emily theorizes that putting Caleb in hospital and hurting her business was Hanna's punishment, and tells her not to freak out on something she can't control and leaves.

Episode 14 Power Play 0206

Alison approaches Emily, as she's talking to Paige

At Rosewood High School, Emily apologizes for missing a meeting and talks to Paige. She offers to take her out for lunch, but Paige declines and tells her that the University of Iowa is offering her the assistant coaching position. Emily questions this because the reason Paige came back to Rosewood is because they offered it to someone else. Paige tells her that they changed their minds. Emily is surprised and asks if she's going to take it, Paige rhetorically questions that she would be stupid not to take it. Alison arrives and Emily greets her, to Paige's dismay, she rolls her eyes and walks away. Emily tells Alison to give her a second, she turns back to Paige to see that she left, and turns back to Alison.

Episode 14 Power Play 0241

Spencer listens to Peter explain that he was looking for Mary

Spencer arrives home and shouts to Veronica that she's expecting mail, questioning if any arrived. However she sees a suitcase and inspects a passport to see that there is stamp dated for Philadelphia over a week ago. Peter shouts for Spencer and she puts down the passport. Peter tells her that he wishes he could have been in Philadelphia sooner after everything she went through. Spencer questions if he means getting shot or finding out that Veronica isn't her real Mom. Peter tells her that Veronica is real mother because she was the one who raised her. He proceeds to tell her that he and Veronica love her but Spencer calls him out knowing he flew out in time to come home sooner. Peter admits that he was looking for Mary before. He wanted to be home sooner but after everything he's done he didn't want Mary to do more damage. Peter knows cheating on Veronica with Mary (thinking she was Jessica) was a huge mistake but he doesn't regret it because he and Veronica ended up raising Spencer. Spencer asks if he found Mary, he tells her not yet but he's working with an investigator and they will. Spencer rhetorically asks if they're going to chase her away so Spencer never gets to see her again and walks away.

Episode 14 Power Play 0369

Detective Furey tells Alison the case is now being treated as a homicide

At Rosewood High, Alison tells Emily that she has made an appointment to terminate her pregnancy. Alison explains that Archer abused and controlled her, and the pregnancy makes it feel like he'll still be in control. After they're done talking, Alison opens her classroom door to see Detective Furey. At The Brew, Ezra explained what happened with Nicole, including that her therapist wanted her to gradually find out things so it doesn't all come as a huge shock, but she knows that Ezra is now engaged to Aria. Ezra tells her that he and Nicole talked for a while and that she says that she wants him to be happy. He then apologizes for being a "crappy fiance" and tells Aria that Nicole now being alive doesn't change a thing about his feelings for Aria. Back at Rosewood High, Detective Furey informs Alison that the forensic team confirmed that the finger was detached from tissue that had been decomposing for a some time, possibly around the time Dunhill disappeared, and now the case is being treated as a homicide case. Furey asks if she thinks anyone would have had a motive, Alison tells him that he was a con artist who treated dozens of mental patients with no medical training so a bunch of people could have had a motive. Furey informs her that Mary has gone into hiding and due to her connection to the case, she's a person of interest.

Episode 14 Power Play 0409

The board game tells the girls to complete the game before the cops arrest them

The Liars gather as Hanna freaks out about her being found guilty of vehicular manslaughter, Emily questions if this is punishment because they didn't help A.D. find Charlotte's killer, so they're going to help the cops find out about their crime. The board game starts up and begins choosing. It's Alison's turn and she has a mystery location to find. A question mark comes up on the phone and Spencer clicks it, the phone reads: "Solve the puzzle, get away with murder.", an animation plays and it flips to another side that says: "or fail, and go directly to jail." Hanna states that this was already the point of the game, Aria informs her that now it's a race. They need to complete the board game before the cops solve Dunhill's murder. Spencer tells them that no one can screw up her turn now. Hanna and Spencer are in the Hastings' barn searching for a watch. Hanna questions why she's sleeping with Detective Furey, Spencer tells Hanna that he is a nice person, Hanna says she only has an issue with his job considering he's working on the case that, if solved, could get them all arrested. Spencer states that she's worried too. Hanna asks how Toby is but Spencer doesn't know because she left a message and he hasn't called back. Hanna finds a private investigator card and questions her, Spencer informs her that Peter is looking for Mary but doesn't have any leads yet. Hanna wants to call the investigator but Spencer tells her not to as she doesn't know what to say and it's possible that she realized who her birth daughter is and ran away. Hanna clears this idea away and tells her to ask Mary why she ran away, after a moment, Hanna calls the investigator.

Episode 14 Power Play 0535

Paige tells Emily she's leaving because it still feel like high school in Rosewood

At Ezra's apartment, Ezra is going through papers and Aria asks if Nicole threw them at him. Ezra tells her that Nicole threw it at her parents when they came to take her back home. Aria grabs a paper and sees annotations, she asks if Nicole wrote them and begins reading one. Ezra walks over to her and takes it out of her hand. At Rosewood High, Paige informs Emily that she is leaving today, Paige tells Emily that in coming back she also thought she could make it work with Emily again but being back at school watching Emily and Alison talking reminds her of them whispering in hallways as a teenager, Emily and Alison are still keeping secrets between them and she decided she didn't want to feel that way again. Emily tells it's not what she thinks it is and she doesn't have to feel that way. Paige says that she knows she doesn't, she can just go somewhere else.

Episode 14 Power Play 0542

Alison FaceTimes Aria about coordinates to the mystery location

Aria and Alison FaceTime and Alison tells Aria that she got latitude and longitude geographic coordinates (39.967648φ | -72.883301φ) that must lead to the mystery location. Aria offers to go with her, and asks if she is okay because she looks ill, Alison doesn't tell Aria she's pregnant just that she's had a bad stomach recently. Alison asks about Ezra, and tells Alison that Nicole talked to her therapist who said she's having setback because of the book, Alison tells her it isn't because of the book, it's because she was held captive in a jungle for two years. Aria tells Alison that the book didn't help and she's the one who convinced Ezra to write it. Alison starts to feel sick and tells Aria she has to go before hanging up to go and vomit. After Alison leaves, Aria gets a FaceTime call from A.D., they're using AI technology to remain anonymous and threaten Aria's relationship with an essay she wrote about being groomed by Ezra in high school if she doesn't help them. Aria gets angry and throws her piece off the board game.

Episode 14 Power Play 0618

Hanna shows Ted a photo of Mary as Spencer and Hanna look for her

Spencer and Hanna go looking for Mary, due to Spencer's connection with Mary she's being less aggressive in finding Mary than Hanna is and asks Hanna to be more gentle, although Hanna is aware that Mary could be dangerous, for the sake of also looking for Spencer's birth mother, she softens her approach. They knock on another door and find Pastor Ted. At Rosewood High, Paige sits down in the teachers lounge and spots a bag, in it she sees an abortion leaflet, she checks to see anyone coming and takes out the leaflet to read it, she opens it and finds a note attached that says Alison's name and time of appointment. Alison walks up to her and grabs the leaflet and angrily questions what she's doing. Paige tries to apologize, but Alison is mad, she grabs her things and walks out. Back with Hanna and Spencer, Hanna gives Ted a photo of Mary but he denies seeing her recently. They realize they may have written down the wrong address, but Ted expresses happiness that they did so he could see Hanna and Spencer again. Ted talks about her engagement and job in New York and Hanna informs Ted that neither of them worked out. He credits her resilience when telling her that she will figure things out. He offers them tea and a chat but Spencer tells him that they can't stay. Hanna tells him that she will email him her contacts and they can get coffee at The Radley with her mom. Spencer begins to leave and Hanna warns Ted that Mary is dangerous and the cops are looking for her, and then leaves. When the girls disappear we see Mary behind Ted, he tells her that he didn't say she was there because she told him not to, and then asks why she's really here.

Episode 14 Power Play 0712

The board game instructs Alison on what to do at the store

Aria and Alison reach their destination: Darling Duck, a baby clothes and accessories store. Aria wonders why Alison is being sent here, Alison knows she's pregnant but no one except for Emily does. She does not inform Aria and begins to enter the store to find the puzzle piece. Aria gets a FaceTime call from a blocked number and lies to Alison that it's Ezra, she tells Ali that she'll be there in a second and Alison enters the store. Aria answers the phone and A.D. lectures her for moving her piece off the game board, questioning if she wants to lose. Aria says that she doesn't want to lose, she wants out. After a second, A.D. ends the call. A.D. sends her a message of a pinned location and where to meet them, but she has to leave Alison and meet them now, so she does. In the store, Alison is given a scanner, she begins scanning items and she gets a message on the game's phone, it tells her to scan 10 items, as she is scanning items, she overhears a conversation about someone wanting the sex of their baby to be a surprise, this provokes an emotional reaction from Alison as she continues scanning.

Episode 14 Power Play 0773

Paige and Emily race on bikes at night

Paige and Emily are sitting talking at night, with their bikes close. Emily jokes that Rosewood isn't that bad and that Paige will miss the pizza. Paige informs Emily that she told Iowa she needed more time to decide, Emily is happy to hear this and asks what changed. Paige says she's not the only one with demons and not facing hers would be like she's still in high school. Emily jokes that they could race for it as they did in college. Paige tells her that they made a lot of big decisions that way. Paige tells Emil that they're going to race to decide whether she goes or stays. Emily is confused and doesn't want to race to decide Paige's future. Paige is serious and tells her that Apple Rose is the finish, she toys with Emily to get her into it. They race, but Paige doesn't finish, she tells her that she's already decided, she walks up to Emily and they kiss.

Episode 14 Power Play 0805

Alison finds out she's carrying Emily's baby

At Darling Ducks, Alison finishes her scanning, and is about to leave but the cashier assistant informs her of the item that was asked to be put on hold for the donor. Alison is confused, she holds up a necklace with block letters on it, they spell out "Emily", she remembers that Emily donated her eggs and realizes that the baby is not biologically hers. She panics and almost faints, she asks the assistant where the puzzle piece is but they are confused. She goes through the store looking for it taking objects down, she finds it and takes it. Aria finds a black car with the passenger seat open, she gets in it and Sydney reveals herself as A.D. Aria questions why Sydney is doing this as the girls barely know her, she also questions if it has something to do with Jenna, Sydney denies this. Aria questions why Sydney is letting Aria see her now. Sydney says she's desperate and she can use that. Sydney questions if she wants out, Aria admits she wants out of all of the game. Sydney questions if the girls know she's meeting her, Aria denies this. Aria checks her phone to two messages from Alison and 3 missed calls, she puts it back and Sydney asks the driver to take the scenic route.

Episode 14 Power Play 0891

Ted tells Hanna he's Charlotte's father

At Lucas' loft, Ted has arrived to talk to Hanna. Hanna gives Ted a beer and he tells her that he lied to her about not seeing Mary. He tells her that she spend the last two nights on his sofa. With Aria and Sydney, Aria questions how she gets out of the game, Sydney tells her there is no out, she can only join the winning team, Aria questions if she wants her to join torturing her friends. Aria goes to press the privacy screen button, Sydney warns against it and informs her that leaving Alison alone and coming there was an important step to earning A.D.'s trust, but she still has a long way for that and decision to make. Aria questions why Sydney is back helping Jenna and A.D. again, Sydney tells her that it's not fun being on the losing team. Back with Hanna and Ted, Ted informs Hanna that Mary came back to tell him they have a child together, and that child was Charlotte DiLaurentis. Ted shows Hanna a photo of Charles and another boy, he says that 15 years ago he ran a camp for troubled boys, Charles was a camper there. Ted describes Charles as being soft spoken, sweet and smarter than the other kids. Hanna questions if Ted knows the other boy in the photo. Ted says his name was Luke or Lucas. Hanna questions if it's Lucas Gottesman, Ted questions if Hanna knows him, Hanna tells him that Ted is sitting in his loft. Back at Alison's house, Alison informs Emily that the baby is not biologically hers, Emily's eggs were used, Emily tells her that it may not be true, but Alison knows it to be true and remembers the procedure happening.

Episode 14 Power Play 1087

Peter tells Spencer that Mary killed Jessica and tried to frame him

Spencer arrives back at the Hastings household and Peter questions why Spencer was looking for Mary as he was made aware. Spencer becomes mad at him considering he's been lying to her about her life since she was born. Peter tells Spencer that there are things about Mary that Spencer does not understand. Spencer gives him an ultimatum: she will walk away and she won't come back or he will tell her what he's so afraid of about Mary. Peter tells her that the last time he saw Mary, was when Spencer came back from rehab (in "Cover For Me"), a flashback of Mary looking at Spencer while she's looking out at Alison's window. Mary leaves as Veronica is going into Spencer's room, Mary goes down stairs to leave, but Peter is in the kitchen. He realizes it's Mary and not Jessica and Mary tells him that she just wanted to see what Spencer looked like. Spencer questions "she wanted to see me?", Peter corrects her "she wanted revenge." Peter says that Mary was unhinged, Jessica told her that Charles was dead, she found out that Charles transitioned into Charlotte and was alive. Mary wanted revenge, wanting Jessica dead, but Peter wouldn't help so she turned on him. She killed Jessica and buried her in the Hastings' back yard to rope him into it. Spencer realizes it means Peter knew about Charlotte before the dollhouse happened. Peter admits this and says that he wouldn't let anything like that happen to her again. Peter tells her that he can live with Spencer hating him for that but begs Spencer to let him protect her.

Episode 14 Power Play 1177

The girls wait for the game to land on Aria

Spencer and Hanna arrive at Alison's house and is updated on Alison and Emily's situation. Hanna offers them tea but they decline. Aria arrives and Emily is mad at her for abandoning Alison when she needed her. Spencer informs Aria that A.D. stole Emily's eggs from the donation bank, fertilized them and then used them to impregnate Alison. Spencer tells them that no one can imagine how confused and violated they feel and that Aria's turn is up next and they need to stick together. The game board starts up and the girls (except Alison) head over to it. The game starts deciding and it skips Aria and goes to Hanna. The girls are confused, Emily says it's supposed to land on Aria. Aria does not inform the girls she asked for an "out", and pretends she doesn't know what's going on. Spencer says that she might be getting a do-over because she didn't get her puzzle piece, Hanna shouts that she shouldn't get a do-over because her turn ended her career. Aria tries to calm her down telling her it will be okay, but Hanna shouts that it's not okay. Emily says that it's broken. Alison walks over and tells them the game is not broken. It knows exactly what it's doing. Hanna walks out and the girls follow her, Aria gets a text from A.D. as they all leave, they ask if she's made a decision yet.

Notes

  • This episode marks Ted's first appearance since "The Melody Lingers On".
  • Detective Furey tells Ali that he received one of Archer's decomposing fingers and reveals the investigation is now ruled a homicide.
  • Peter tells Spencer about the last time he saw Mary Drake: Mary (dressed up like Jessica) sneaked into the Hastings residence and went to Spencer's bedroom so she could see her daughter all grown up. He also reveals that Mary killed Jessica for revenge for hiding that Charles was alive the whole time and that he had become Charlotte; he also knew about Charlotte's existence.
  • Ted reveals to Hanna that he is Charlotte's biological father, and also reveals that Lucas was Charles' friend when they were younger.
  • Alison remembers that A.D. used Emily's eggs they stole to get her pregnant while she was a patient at Welby State after playing the board game.
  • Sydney is confirmed to be working for Uber A and she tries to recruit Aria. She also claims that she is the one who shot Spencer and rescued Jenna in "The DArkest Knight" before Aria realizes she's wearing an earpiece.
  • Its revealed that Mary Drake was in Spencer's bedroom in Cover For Me and no Jessica

Title and Background

  • The title was revealed by I. Marlene King on Twitter.[2]
  • There are two definitions for the phrase Power Play: tactics exhibiting or intended to increase a person's power or influence. As well as, tactics in a team sport involving the concentration of players at a particular point.
  • The title possibly refers to Aria's arrangement with A.D. to win the board game. 

Main Cast

Supporting Cast

Trivia

  • The table read for this episode occurred on August 3rd, 2016.[3]
  • Filming for this episode began on August 5th, 2016[4] and wrapped on August 15th, 2016.[5]
  • This is Lijah J. Barasz & Roger Kumble's last episode for the show.
  • The episode's official press release was made public on April 21st, 2017.[1]
  • The intro in this episode features Alison doing the 'Shhh'.
  • The episode was watched by 0.91 million viewers on its original broadcast.

Featured Music

  • "Don't Let Me Go (Acoustic)" by RAIGN - (Ezra returns to the apartment, where Aria informs him that Nicole is asleep upstairs and that she'll have a lot of questions about their relationship when she awakens)
  • "Someday" by Banta - (Hanna talks to Lucas on the phone about the investors' meeting; Hanna gives Emily a better shirt to wear for work and Emily tells her about her night following Sydney then reassures her about not finishing her turn in the game)
  • "She's Broken" by Billie Eilish - (At The Brew, Ezra explains to Aria how Nicole came to be at their place then promises, that she knows of their engagement and that she'll be gone in a few so they can return back to normal lives soon)
  • "My Love" by The Bird and the Bee - (Emily and Paige race to decide if Paige should go to Iowa or not; Paige stops and informs Emily that she already decided to stay and they kiss)
  • "Devil Devil" by MILCK - (The girls watch as the game begins to decide who's turn it is now then it leads on Hanna to play again; Aria receives a text from A.D. asking if she has made a decision yet)

Gallery

Camera Icon-Gallery

Power Play has a photo gallery.


References

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