full size Pretty Little Liars Season 3, Episode 9: Aria and Spencer With CeCe
Credit: Eric McCandless/ ABC Family

We had high hopes for Pretty Little Liars Season 3, Episode 9: “The Kahn Game” and the twisted party we knew was coming.

Did the epusode live up to our expectations? Read on for Wetpaint Entertainment's review of the episode, and then rate it yourself.

Read spoilers at your own risk! For more on Wetpaint Entertainment's philosophy on spoilers, click here.

The short answer: Yes, yes it did. Emotions run high in this episode, and we wouldn't have it any other way.

First, there's Emily (Shay Mitchell), who Hanna (Ashley Benson) finally tells about Maya's (Bianca Lawson) website. She spends the episode weeping over Maya's messages from beyond the grave. Paige (Lindsey Shaw) finds her and is a total champ about it; she's completely supportive and understanding. Aww.

Meanwhile, Caleb (Tyler Blackburn) decides he's not going to give up on Hanna. He tricks her into meeting him with a fake "A" text, and then declares he'll help her fight this new "A" whether she likes it or not. Then they make out a lot. Again: Aww.

Less aww is Aria (Lucy Hale) and Ezra's (Ian Harding) story this week. We learn that Ezra apparently did sell a car — though it technically wasn't his and now he needs to buy it back — but that doesn't mean he hasn't been keeping a huge secret. We meet his (super hot) brother, who spills that Aria isn't the first person Mama Fitzgerald has tried to pay off. Ezra reluctantly admits to Aria that he got a girl named Maggie pregnant in high school, and his mother "fixed" the problem with her infinite dollars and indomitable will. That's why he's so estranged from his family.

Most riveting of all was Spencer's (Troian Bellisario) story. The most academic Little Liar actually forgot to apply to her dream college (UPenn) Early Admissions, and you better bet she's freaking out about it. Fortunately, CeCe shows up with a solution: She knows of a party where an old friend turned UPenn admissions officer will be. Spencer browbeats CeCe into inviting her, and then drags Aria along.

And it's a good thing she did! Because wadda you know, this is one of those special stamp parties Holden told Emily about. And whose party would it be but Noel's (Brant Daugherty) brother's? Noel himself is there, along with Jenna (Tammin Sursok), of all people.

Noel and Aria engage in a battle of "Truth" where he tries to get her to incriminate Ezra, which she deftly avoids doing. But the real highlight of the episode was Spencer and Jenna's "Truth" battle, which absolutely sizzled. We learn that Noel was there "that night," and he and Jenna actually picked Emily up at a diner, not in the street.

We really liked this episode. 4.5 stars! What did you think?

Pretty Little Liars airs at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC Family.

Rebecca Martin is an editor at Wetpaint Entertainment. Follow her on Twitter @BeccaMartin47. 

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