Adam Taylor Brooks

As Emma, Ethan and Thayer continue to search for the truth of what happened to Sutton at the lake, they follow a lead that raises more questions than it answers. But when a poorly-timed encounter threatens to expose her identity, Emma is left in a precarious position that turns her life upside down. Will she be able to recover? Meanwhile, Laurel impresses the crowd at her mom’s charity benefit with her musical talents, and Rebecca and Alec get to know each other better.

Ethan insists on helping Emma get the answers she's looking for about her twin sister. So when a tattoo sparks a memory about Sutton, Ethan pursues an explanation. But the information proves costly when Ethan heads into a situation that quickly gets out of control. Meanwhile, Mads sneaks off to see Ryan (recurring guest star MISHA CROSBY – Hollyoaks), and Laurel continues to see Justin (recurring guest star RANDY WAYNE) against her parents' wishes.

In the season premiere, Alec (ADRIAN PASDAR) is in jail after his arrest for murder, but he still manages to unnerve Emma. Rebecca and Sutton formulate plans for the Mercer family.

When Ethan is implicated in a serious crime, he and Sutton leave town and hide out with his father, Ben Whitehorse (recurring guest star GIL BIRMINGHAM – The Twilight Saga), on the reservation where he grew up. A burgeoning tension between father and son has Sutton playing mediator, but, despite the awkwardness, she appreciates seeing a side of Ethan that she did not know when they were together. Meanwhile, Emma is left to deal with the aftermath of Ethan's situation when she must pretend to be witness to a scene where she was not present.

Emma wants to find out what really happened on the reservation but Ethan is avoiding her and Sutton is looking to send her packing for good. Curious about his father’s possible link to Derek’s murder, Thayer starts to doubt Alec’s alibi and begins investigating Rebecca’s past. And, Kristin grows increasingly suspicious that Ted is not telling her the entire story when it comes to Justin’s mom.