'Pretty Little Liars' recap: Hypnosis and bad outfits

Emily's whacked-out memory and Spencer's emotional rampage this week on "Pretty Little Liars," but the action was in short supply.

Maybe it's just us. There were still great moments and a few solid reveals, but this episode felt a little stale and a little bit like filler to get us through the season. It's great that they want us to get to know Caleb and Ezra's brother Wesley and all, but let's focus on the stuff that matters. You know, like who killed Alison and who is at the top of the A-team totem pole.

Thankfully, there was plenty of that, as well. Let's get to it.

The mind-boggling moments

Mona is poking the bear. The scene in which Mona approached Spencer at her locker about being off her A-game at Academic Decathlon was priceless. Spencer's response -- "This is not a game to me ... at all" -- was even better. In fact, we'll go out on a limb and say that Troian Bellesario's performance as Miss Hastings in this episode may be her best to date.

Speaking of which, Spencer is starting to try to get rid of some of her romantic keepsakes from Toby, including the valentine below and -- if you can believe it -- her special chair.

Aria wears a gold leather jacket, a cat tank top, and gold-coated pink jeans. Really, what the heck was up with that outfit?

Toby knows someone's watching him. Why else would the private investigator tell Spencer that he'd stopped using credit cards?

Emily gets a message ... in French. Upon visiting the police station, she realizes that the photo of Wilden in Cape May is missing from the office bulletin board and then discovers a postcard of the Eiffel Tower in her mom's purse. Spencer later translated the foreign tongue -- the note on the card means, "Stop digging! The police already know it's you who is capable of murder!"

More postcards are imminent. The girls each put an item in Alison's casket at her funeral. Aria's and Hanna's -- a pair of earrings and a piece of a Ouija board -- have already appeared. Emily admits she left 25 postcards with their friends' remains, so expect many more to come.

One question answered: Paige is not a hussy! She was just flirting with a girl who works at a costume shop to try to find out who bought the Queen of Hearts outfit for Halloween. Phew!

Not talking isn't working for Emily. Since she feels she can't get over the drama of killing Nate in self-defense earlier in the series, she visits Dr. Sullivan, who recommends hypnotherapy. And that's where the real fun begins.

Hanna wears denim overalls?! Yeah, right!

Learn about the fashions in this episode:

Ezra still loves Aria, at least according to Wesley. Little bro shares with Aria some of their family drama, including how Ezra has inspired him by not always doing what his mother would have seen as ideal. "He found you and said that's who I want," Wesley explained. "That's why my mother hates you. Because you're unexpected." Swoon.

Spencer and Toby had a secret ... and it's locked in a room. "This will tell me whether he kept it," Spence tells the PI after he finds the door that can be unlocked with that infamous key. She heads that way and, sadly, it's just an empty room that appears to have once been covered with pictures and articles and clues of sorts. Hmm ...

Never accept flowers from Mona. She hand-delivers an orchid to Dr. Sullivan and says, "I could never really repay you for what you did," and it might just be the creepiest moment on the show ever.

Emily killed Ali?! No, not really. She just thinks she did after going under hypnosis. Later, after hearing sprinklers (because isn't that always the way?), she realizes she heard the same sound the night she was drugged and helped dig up Ali's grave. Somehow, in that moment, she makes an important connection about the identity of the leader of Team A. "All I know is that it was a woman, she was blond, and she was wearing a red coat. And, she's the one in charge."

Alison may have been mean, but she liked Emily Dickenson. Or, at least, we can assume she did by the quote underneath her name in the mausoleum where she's now interned.

Lingering questions

• What was the secret between Spencer and Toby that she thought would prove he loved her?

• Who is the lady in red?

• How many petals typically are on a hydrangea?

• OK, we'll bite -- Is Uncle Jamie actually Caleb's dad?

• And did Wesley really sleep with his physics teacher?

• Again, where was Jenna?

• Did the costume designer go on maternity leave or something? The outfits this week were exceptionally outrageous.

• Most important, when is Ezra coming back?

Watch the full episode:

"Pretty Little Liars" airs Tuesdays at 8 PM on ABC Family.