While the boys are cowering in fear of their young lives being ruined the girls are getting brassy and fearless against the bully that has them all under her thumb. That seems to be the part that most of the members of the A team haven't gotten to yet. Lucas and Toby are clearly still tripped up on their respective ladies, Hanna and Spencer, but are contributing to their torture. Blackmail is a key bargaining tool, so far instrumental to both Lucas's inclusion in the Cheap Black Hoodie Squad and to Byron possibly having killed a sixteen-year-old girl. So it stands to reason that everyone participating in the A team is there because they're being held there by some awful thing they did.
Pretty Little Liars Season 3 Episode 16 "Misery Loves Company" Aria is down for the count when sidelined by the flu, so Hanna and Emily are on their own to follow up on a new clue. Surprisingly, Meredith steps up to help take care of Aria while her father is away, but when it starts to look like Meredith may have ulterior motives to her nursing Aria back to health, Hanna and Emily turn their attention towards saving their friend. Is Meredith just trying to start anew with Aria and be her number one fan, or is there reason for her friends to be concerned? Meanwhile, Spencer takes a break from all the sleuthing to surprise Toby for their first anniversary.