On their seventeenth birthday, Emma's ideal life is about to come to an end when a vengeful Sutton makes her way back to Phoenix to get her life back.

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, and Laurel continues to see Justin against her parents' wishes.

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.

Everyone gathers to celebrate Dan and Theresa's wedding but the celebrations do not go off as planned. Ethan figures out who Emma is protecting and confronts her about shutting him out. Sutton's sudden change of heart confuses Emma, who isn't sure she trusts her sister. Ted's behavior grows more erratic as his family continues to fall apart. Meanwhile, in the game between Alec and Rebecca, Jordan decides whose side he's on.

Ethan's confession to Dan threatens to shatter the brothers' relationship forever. Sutton receives a mysterious phone call that may provide some valuable information. Emma's feelings for Thayer are tested when she finds herself in close quarters with Ethan. And someone else comes face to face with Emma and Sutton.

Emma is forced to go up against Neesha for Homecoming queen which causes problems with her and Sutton. Sutton and Emma both try to find more info on their mom while Alec and Ted try to hide it.

It's been a tough night for Emma and Ethan, and things are about to get tougher when they find Sutton has disappeared after their argument and the Mercer family car is missing from the garage. When the police find the car at the bottom of the lake, Emma and Ethan look to each other for support, but Thayer threatens to tear them apart with his accusations against Ethan. Meanwhile, Char's aunt, Rebecca (guest star Charisma Carpenter, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), has returned to town and Char is the only one happy about it.

Caught by the FBI, Ethan is brought back to Phoenix to face charges for murder. As Emma continues to search for evidence that can help Ethan’s case, she clashes with Ted and Kristin over her unwavering support of a murder suspect. Alec’s relationship with the victim prevents him from taking the case himself so he assigns a star prosecutor from his firm, prompting Dan to reach out to an ex-girlfriend who is now a successful defense attorney. Meanwhile, encouraged by their time together in hiding, Sutton has her own plans for Ethan.

The Flipside Formal offers Emma the chance to try and trap Rebecca and Sutton in a lie, but she needs Ethan's help to pull it off. Laurel struggles with where her loyalties lie, while Kristin makes a troubling discovery that has more significance than she realizes. Jordan continues to waffle between Laurel and Mads, and Theresa's defense of Alec threatens to drive a wedge between her and Dan. Meanwhile, Rebecca and Ted, and Alec and Kristin, each reminisce about old times.

Questions surrounding Emma arise when Thayer returns to Phoenix and everyone deals with Eduardo's accident. What does Emma know about the accident, and why does Thayer seem to know more about the situation even though he has been in L.A.? Sutton's friends are tired of the lies and demand answers from Emma. Not exactly knowing the whole story surrounding Eduardo's accident, will Emma finally tell Mads and Char about the switch to save their friendship, or will she risk it to save Sutton's secret? Meanwhile, Sutton finds more trouble than she expected at Dowinger Clinic as she finally comes face to face with her mother.

When Ethan is implicated in a serious crime, he and Sutton leave town and hide out with his father, Ben, 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.

Ethan is still a wanted man in hiding with Sutton, leaving Emma to worry if justice - and love - will prevail. Discouraged by Dan's inability to crack the case, Emma takes it upon herself to find a way to vindicate Ethan. With the help of Mads and Thayer, they search for any lead that may help prove Ethan's innocence. Meanwhile, Ethan and Sutton's time alone in hiding together has lowered Ethan's guard. Sutton uses the opportunity to encourage Ethan to bond with his estranged father, looking to heal her relationship with him at the same time. And Alec questions Rebecca's motives after she agitates Ted and Kristin by offering Laurel the opportunity to produce a music demo.

After waking up from a terrifying nightmare, Emma learns that Sutton has been suffering from the exact same dream for years. Sutton locates the house which Emma shared with their long-lost mother. Meanwhile, as Emma tries to convince Ted that Ethan is innocent, she hits a nerve. She believes Ted is feeling guilty and knows more than he is willing to share.

With Sutton’s whereabouts still unknown and a threatening note delivered via Sutton’s signature packaging, Emma is feeling uncertain and on edge. So when she is invited to scout out the University of Texas’s tennis program, Emma surprises her dad and accepts the invite. Nonetheless, Emma can’t escape the fact that her twin may be gone for good. Meanwhile, Rebecca tries to help Char when her mom, Phyllis, has another drinking “episode.”

On the night of the country club’s Black and White Ball for junior members, Emma finds herself on the outside looking in, and Ethan must put up a façade in order to protect her. Although their loyalty to each other is strong, the jealousy and lies start to take their toll. Can Emma and Ethan look past their doubts and mend the wedge forming between them? Meanwhile, Laurel and Ted are both left reeling after they discover the motive behind Justin’s actions. And Rebecca and Mads counsel each other on matters of the heart.

Emma and Thayer further their investigation into the twins' birth mother and what Sutton may know about her. Laurel begins to suspect that something is not right with her sister and makes everyone nervous when she starts asking questions. Using ammunition provided by Rebecca, Sutton lashes out at Kristin during what is supposed to be a peaceful Mercer family dinner.

Sutton is furious when she learns that Emma and Ethan kissed. Sutton and Emma continue to find more info about their mom. Meanwhile, Laurel becomes suspicious when Justin keeps breaking dates. Also, Mads learns Edwardo is moving and Char goes on a date with a boy she found in her pool.

With tensions already high, Emma is thrown into a tailspin when her creepy foster brother, Travis, shows up from Las Vegas. Seeing he has an upper hand with Emma, Travis decides to use his knowledge of Emma's situation to his benefit. With her relationship with Ethan still strained, she has no one to turn to and forced to go along with Travis' plan if she has any hope of getting him to leave her alone. But with her old life looming over her, will this be the straw that breaks Emma's back? Meanwhile, Sutton is forced into Emma's life when she is sent back to Las Vegas.

Secrets abound in the Mercer household and Emma has had about enough of it. When she overhears an argument between Ted and Kristen, Emma thinks she finally can put a stop to all of the lies and get some real answers out of Sutton's mom. But does Emma really think that she could pry the truth out of a secret that has been hidden for almost seventeen years? Or will the secret Kristen has been hiding turn out to be not the biggest secret lurking around the Mercer house? Meanwhile, Sutton gets a glimpse into what Emma's life has been like when she is forced to pretend to be her sister while in Las Vegas.

Sutton steps up her plans to win back Ethan, and makes a point to let Emma know her intentions. Feeling left out of Emma and Thayer's growing closeness, Mads visits her father in prison and shocks Emma with a family revelation. Dan continues his investigation into Derek's murder, regardless of Alec's arrest, and Jordan starts at his new school and tries to get close to Laurel.

Emma struggles to make sense of newfound revelations and shifts in her relationships with Ethan and Thayer. After hearing Emma's suspicions about Rebecca, Sutton's faith in her mother begins to falter and she decides to take matters into her own hands. Rebecca is thrilled when Kristin and Ted's marriage continues to unravel, putting her one step closer to achieving her goal. Meanwhile, Alec realizes that Jordan could be a strong ally in his private war with his wife.

Rebecca advises Sutton to reclaim her life, leading Sutton to challenge Emma to a tennis match - winner gets to live as Sutton Mercer. Ethan is in danger of failing out of school, so Emma offers to tutor him, breaking plans with Thayer in the process. Laurel decides to ask out Jordan, but ends up bringing Mads along on their date. And new evidence comes to light that may exonerate Alec, or may further prove his guilt.

An unexpected engagement leads to a quickly-planned wedding, causing suspicions that something is awry. Sutton encourages Emma to show Kristin what they found in Rebecca's house. And Ethan makes a discovery that changes the game. Meanwhile, a shocking revelation leads to major repercussions in the Mercer household.

Emma learns more about what happened the night Sutton's car went into the lake, raising her suspicions about whether her sister has been truthful. Ted invites his family to be his guests at an event in his honor and Rebecca orders Sutton to use the opportunity to further their plans for the Mercer family. Meanwhile, Emma heeds Laurel's romantic advice and Rebecca and Alec engage in a game of cat and mouse against each other.