Any attempt for Aria, Spencer, Hanna, and Emily to forge ahead after the discovery of their best friend's body is completely disrupted by the reemergence of Jenna - a girl from their past who may or may not hold the answer to the girls' most dangerous secret.

Aria is still contending with the mutual attraction to her English teacher, Ezra Fitz, further perpetuated by her mother's innocent invitation to join them for a movie at Rosewood's silent theater. Caught kissing her sister's charming fiance, Spencer completely isolates herself from the rest of her harshly judgmental family, including her disapproving mother and stone-cold father. Hanna, meanwhile, has come to an impasse with her religious boyfriend Sean on when to lose their virginity, and Emily's feelings for Maya grow deeper after a playful and flirtatious sleepover.

When the girls are all interrogated by Det. Wilden, who has become increasingly involved with Hanna's reluctant mother, they're terrified of the secret they've kept for a year being revealed: that a terrible prank they played on Jenna's brother Toby went horribly awry, leaving Jenna blind.