Pretty Little Liars Review: Burn This (Season 6 Episode 18)

Pretty Little Liars is on point this week as the show starts to find its way out of the pool of A suspects and back to the lives of the Liars. In “Burn This” the New A makes it clear that he or she means business while our favorite estranged couples start to slowly find their way back to each other.

“Burn This” relies heavily on the events of last week’s episode, “We All Have Baggage”, picking up with Emily, Hanna, and Aria as they clean up from the wedding last week. Aria shows Emily and Hanna her parents’ wedding photos on her camera, but surprise: she’s in one. When she zooms in, she finds a place card saying: “Give Me The Killer.”

This should be a terrifying moment because A was at the wedding, but surprisingly, this moment is surrounded by so much shippy stuff that A is almost completely eclipsed. In fact, it’s almost like the episode is holding a sign telling the current boyfriends to beware of the exes.

During this scene Hanna, Emily, and Aria are also discussing Alison’s marriage. Hanna says that she can’t believe Alison married someone that they hardly know. With some brilliant writing, this sentiment comes back to bite Hanna at her own bridal shower—pink drinks and all—when Ashley arranges a game of 21 Questions and starts asking the Liars basic questions about Hanna and Jordan. When no one can answer how they met or how he proposed, the shower falls into an awkward silence until Hanna calls the game lame.

Hanna, wake up! It should be a signal if three of the people you are closest to can’t tell you how you met your fiancé.

Now, remember when I said that A was almost completely eclipsed? Well, this is where A’s antics come into play in the most terrifying way. The bridal shower is also the perfect venue for A to stage her next little tantrum. The automation system malfunctions and ignites a fire right next to Aria who ends up in the hospital with second-degree burns.

Don’t fear! While Aria is hurt, there is a bright side to this and its name is Ezra Fitz. Ashley calls Ezra to come to Aria’s aid and not only does Ezra show up, but he also brings her a change of clothes and reading material. Then Ezra reads to her from a fashion magazine in a monotone voice. He even jokes about a staph infection brochure being more entertaining.

This is the kind of guy you want in your life, girls! Someone who will make you laugh when you are pain and show up with everything you will need to make you more comfortable. Ezra, you get points! You are quickly outshining Liam.

“Burn This” also reveals exactly what happened between Toby and Spencer three years ago. The story unfolds slowly with Toby and Spencer sitting in Spencer’s dorm room and arguing about the future while they wait for the results of a pregnancy test.

While the results are never revealed, the scene plays back into last week’s episode when confidential information was leaked about Yvonne terminating an unwanted pregnancy in high school. At first, it sounds like Spencer also had an abortion, but when she meets with Toby later she apologizes for the leak saying:

“I would never judge Yvonne for making that decision. Especially when you and I almost had to make that choice.”

I read this as the test being negative and the fear—followed by the relief—eventually leading to their breakup.

This sequence is handled beautifully. I almost feel like a ten minute short can be made from the Toby and Spencer’s bits of this episode. The story is intriguing without being too clichéd. The flashback starts when Spencer walks out the bathroom and ends when the timer dings, putting the focus more on their argument and less on the pregnancy test.

The only thing missing from this episode would be a surprise appearance of Paige. Emily needs some great love in her life too, writers!

Stray Thoughts

• New A clue! A was somehow involved with the wedding. Everyone make a mental list of everyone who was at the wedding or helped set up. Suddenly, Liam is in my sites. Could he be involved with this new A? He was at the wedding as Aria’s date.
• I nominate Ashley as the Best Mom Ever. Sure she’s done some things—sleeping with a cop and stealing a security tape—but she always had a good heart. She opens her home to Caleb when no one will give him a place to sleep, just like she opened her home up to Emily when her parents moved to Texas.
• Ezra and Aria as co-writers is a match made in heaven. Now, if only they can find a way to incorporate her photography. Then they would be unstoppable.
• I get the feeling that Hitchcock music plays in the Liars’ heads whenever they open a door and see Detective Tanner.
• Speaking of Detective Tanner, anyone get the feeling that line-up was a setup? That description could have been any dark-haired woman in her mid-twenties. Couldn’t Tanner have just asked if Aria had a pair of pink dice on her keychain? Where is this going?

What did you think of this episode of Pretty Little Liars? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Reviewer Rating:

User Rating:

Pretty Little Liars airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on Freeform.

Follow us on Twitter @TellTV