The episode follows the Liars—Aria, Hanna, Spencer, and Emily—during the Halloween of 2008, when Alison DiLaurentis was still the undisputed "Queen Bee" of Rosewood.
Is under immense pressure to win a school election, leading to Alison manipulating the results in her favor. The Origin of "A" [S2E13] The First Secret
At the party, Alison stages a terrifying "attack" by a masked assailant to test the loyalty of her friends. She is initially amused until she realizes the person she thought was her partner-in-crime (Noel) wasn't actually there for the prank. Key Character Backstories The episode follows the Liars—Aria, Hanna, Spencer, and
"The First Secret" reveals that Alison was being stalked long before the other girls were. Throughout the episode, she receives threatening texts and a package containing a creepy voodoo doll with the message: “It’s my turn to torture you” . This suggests that "A" (later revealed to be Mona Vanderwaal) was already active and targeting Alison months before her disappearance. She is initially amused until she realizes the
While shopping for costumes, Alison meets the "new girl," Jenna Marshall. When they both want the same Lady Gaga costume, Alison attempts to intimidate her, but Jenna famously refuses her offer of friendship, marking the start of their rivalry.
The episode provides critical context for the secrets the girls kept before "A" began harassing them:
The girls are desperate for an invite to Noel Kahn’s legendary Halloween party.