This begs the question of what happened in Ali’s life that made her constantly live on the defensive. Becoming Queen B was more about being in control and protecting herself from possible threats than about being popular. It was a strategic move. That’s why it was so easy for fans to believe that Ali was A at first. She is vicious when backed into a corner, and most of that appears to stem from an innate sense of fear.
In “Run, Ali, Run,” Ali is panicked by the thought that A is still out there and has compromised her sense of control. It’s one thing to go up against Mona, who is leading the charge against her, but it’s an entirely different issue when the antagonist is once again a faceless monster prepared to go to any lengths to get their way.
Viewers have seen signs of Hannah’s (Ashley Benson) growing unrest over the last few episodes, starting with the coloring of her hair, but her willingness to help Ali skip town was a little on the exaggerated side. Ali is a constant reminder of the person Hannah used to be, but it’s not representative of who she has grown into. Becoming an accessory to Ali’s disappearance would only put more pressure on her to be someone she’s not. And, with all the love triangle drama she has going on at the moment, Hannah doesn’t need any more blows to her self-confidence.
Perhaps more than Ali being back, Caleb showing up has put Hannah in a delicate predicament. Presumably, the writers were preparing for Caleb’s absence to be permanent, thus bringing in a new love interest. That ended with Ravenswood‘s abrupt cancellation. Now the writers have the daunting task of satisfying fans of the long-time couple, without destroying the carefully laid storyline they’ve been building by adding Travis’s (Luke Kleintank) character to the mix. Although, if Hannah and Caleb got back together, that would make Travis a prime candidate for joining Mona’s army.
Pretty Little Liars spent this episode building the suspense surrounding who has stepped in to fill A’s shoes. The mass text message after the explosion, sending Ali the video of A burying her mother, trying to kill Ali (my money is on Sydney, that hooded figure looked awfully sprightly) – all of those things add up to one angry, determined new/old enemy.
Let us know who you think is out the get the Liars and why they want Ali to stay around to watch in the comments section below.
