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Pretty Little Liars

Pretty Little Liars- Silence of E. Lamb (5×07)

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The girls are focused on one thing this week— finding out how Bethany Young was connected to Mrs. D. But in the midst of their hunt, they realize they can’t free themselves from Ali, whose constantly depending, or should I say, requiring them to be there for her. Will it ever end? As viewers we’re faced with a moral dilemma— do we trust Ali? Are we on her side? Does she ever actually speak the truth? It’s a new dilemma since for the past couple of season she was dead and all we were concerned about with was who killed her and why!

Ali’s constant need to be saved poses one question. When is enough, enough? Apparently it’s when she starts bossing her friends around like the kids she used to bully in school and starts telling Hannah that maybe she shouldn’t date Caleb. Hannah’s been grappling with the Ali complex since her return to Rosewood, but this was the last straw for dark Han-whose wardrobe and dark lipstick really matches her rebellious goth makeover. It looks considerable best when she’s holding straight vodka at dinner, right in front of Mrs. Fields (the most anal mother of them all). Ain’t no better way to shed your Ali image right?

NIA PEEPLES

What gives Ali the authority to come back into the circle of friends and start giving out commands? They’ve been helpful this whole time, sacrificing so much for her and what do they get in return? Orders? No one even asked for Ali’s opinion, but instead she gave it to Hannah on a silver platter. Caleb cannot be trusted she warned. Since when? Caleb’s been around since day one. He’s been through hell and back, through thick and thin with Hannah fighting A down. If there’s any boy she should trust its Caleb and Hannah knows it. I think Ali knows it too and realizes that she’s loosing her manipulatory grip on her.  As Ali crossed the line, Hannah became a horrible dinner guest, scoffing at the bullshit Ali was feeding Em’s mom about how she blamed herself for all the horrible things that happened to her. Maybe Mona and co. were right. Maybe Ali hasn’t changed at all. She’s still the manipulative lying person she was before she got “kidnapped”.

One thing about that statement is true— Ali lies. And she withholds information… from the liars. She has her own agenda, aside from the liars that she’s not cluing them in on. But what is it? Spencer realized she needed to keep a closer eye on Melissa and  borrowed one of Ezra’s “watchdog” cameras. As she sat around watching for Melissa’s next move, she stumbled upon Ali, taking a stroll to her barn in the middle of the night, rocking a black hoodie and some winter hat, trying to stay unnoticed. Definitely not the same outfit she wore to Emily’s family dinner just hours before. What was she doing there? Who was she meeting? This is one of the biggest red flags for the girls not to trust Ali. And it comes on top of Mrs. Fields warning to Emily that just because the girls saved Ali once, doesn’t mean they have to keep saving her. Also, Ali’s kidnapping story is falling apart at jail, so it’s only a matter of time before she’s going to have to fess up to what really happened that night. And then they’ll get connected to Shawna’s murder, which won’t be pretty. Don’t you think maybe the theater has a camera or something?

zap-pretty-little-liars-season-5-episode-7-the-005

That might actually be sooner, rather then later considering Hannah blabbed all about New York and mentioned Shawna to the new girl Sydney. In her defense she did get used by Sydeny, who everyone thinks is this nice, quiet girl, but in reality she’s working with Mona and Jenna. Things might have gotten worse but thankfully, Caleb came in for an evening snack and Hannah stayed behind to try to fix their relationship. The writers kind of touched upon Ravenswood here, but not really. All Caleb said was that certain things that happened in that town made him different. Walking around Rosewood was different for him because he was a different person. But one thing remained the same; he still noticed Hannah the minute he walked into a room. It’s nice seeing the ex’s back together as they embrace their new outlooks on life. Their both changing and evolving into who they really are and their still totally smitten with each other. When they were separated, it felt like their was something missing. Plus, I guess it doesn’t hurt that Ali made Caleb sort of forbidden. And you know you only want what you can’t have. Plus, Caleb totally has Hannah’s back. Did you see how he just tore Ali up? No one messes with his girl.

Emily grappled with the whole Ali and Paige thing this week. While she was totally team Ali for the first six episodes, this week felt like she was suddenly getting sick of team Ali and hopping aboard the Paige train. Especially after finding out that Paige was threatened with a dead rat in her locker right after she told Em’s about Mona’s secret army. Paige was so freaked out that she skipped school. That reaction was a bit extreme. You live in Rosewood woman. You’re ex-girlfriend gets almost run over by a car on the daily. A dead rat is really enough to scare you off? No. But whatever. That made Emily feel bad and after realizing maybe Ali really was just playing the lesbian lover card to her advantage, she called Paige practically begging her to call back. Sometimes, I really wish Emily could just stand on her own for an episode or two.

REGGIE AUSTIN, LUCY HALE

Aria seemed to be getting a lot of work done this week as she started volunteering at Radley— not out of the kindness of her own heart, but because time was running out on finding the connection between Bethany and Mrs. D. Personally, I didn’t think volunteering would do anything if Aria couldn’t straight out ask Eddy Lamb questions, but apparently I was wrong. During art class, Aria laid out the picture Bethany drew and one of the patients at Radley, Rhonda, immediately shouted “thief”. Of course, no one believed Rhonda because how could Aria steal anything from her, but Rhonda later confronted Aria and asked why she stole her drawing— a drawing Bethany, her roommate gave to her. Aria was saved by Eddy Lamb, but clearly wanted to get to the bottom of this. How well did Rhonda know Bethany? Did she know who visited her while she was alive? Did she know of her feud with Mrs. D? When Rhonda went to take a shower, Aria snuck into her room in hopes of finding the drawing book, but had to hide under the bed when Rhonda left her shower after having an anger attack. And that’s where she found the brilliant book of drawings, which she later took to Spencer’s to investigate. On her way out, Eddy stopped Aria asking her what she was looking for. He recognized her when he first saw her, but wasn’t able to place his finger on it until she was leaving. He called Ezra and requested to meet up, but never showed. Ezra came to Aria’s pretty worried, stating he waited for an hour for Eddy. What happened to him? Well, I have a pretty good idea of what happened. A did. A knows all and A wants to shush Eddy before too much gets out.

Thankfully, pictures speak a thousand words and Bethany’s book revealed how her brain slowly deteriorated, for lack of a better word. The drawings started off normal and gradually took a turn for the evil, showing pictures of Mrs. D as the devil. One picture stuck out in particular and might be the beginning of a new connection to this madness.. sort of. Remember that whole Toby’s mother committed suicide in Radley, but really she didn’t. She had an accident and fell and Radley covered it up as a suicide because a certain patient was in there and she was sensitive. Well, one picture in Bethany’s book shows a lady falling from what looks like Radley. Was Bethany the sensitive patient that witnessed this “accidental crime”?If I remember correctly, they did say the girl was blonde. Maybe she was so distraught about that incident and the fact that Radley would cover it up. More importantly someone on the board at Radley would cover it up. A.k.a Mrs. D! And so when she escaped that night, she was on the hunt for Mrs. D. Maybe she found her? Maybe she’s the one who hit Ali? Maybe she never found her but found A instead? I’m not sure what happened from that point. But I feel it’s important to also remember that Toby’s mother’s doctor, the one he and Spencer visited, did mention a blonde girl as well. We assumed he was talking about Ali, but maybe it was Bethany all along?

IAN HARDING

There’s obviously still pieces missing. How is Melissa involved? When Spencer sat down to talk to Melissa about the parent’s divorce, she was visibly upset. Tears welled up in her eyes as she mentioned that their divorce wasn’t about love, or lack thereof, but because of all the secrets, lies, the whispered convo’s that stopped when someone walked in the room, the alibi’s that didn’t check out. It was about Ali, the dead bodies found buried in the backyard and the girl murdered in Ali’s grave. Melissa creepily admitted that all of what happened was still revolving around love, before she walked away upset as well. What the hell is Melissa’s secret? How does it have to do with love? Obviously she’s involved with the Bethany Young thing but how? I honestly need so much more from Melissa then vague one sentence cameos every other episode. Hello! Speak woman, speak! Also, why is she meeting with Ali and why was she in the barn cleaning up dead rats? Which comes back to Paige’s locker at the dead rat. The Hasting’s have been having a rat problem lately…. so did Melissa put it in Paige’s locker? It would make sense since she’s working on team Mona. And why is she working on team Mona against her sister? I’ve literally never had more questions about anyone other then Melissa. Also, why would A kill Bethany? And if A didn’t kill Bethany and Bethany didn’t hit Ali, who did? We’re getting close ya’ll. Just hang in there!

Here’s some other stuff I realized this week. A was onto the fact that Hannah blabbed about NYC right away. Why? Well because she told Sydney and this is proof that Sydney, Mona and Jenna are all working with A. Or are A. Or the A team or whatever. But why did Mona have all of Noel Kahn’s stuff? Why is she bringing him his homework if he’s been constantly working with Ali? I can’t say I trust Noel because I don’t. He’s always been sketchy and whoever works with Mona is obviously on the A team. Maybe he was “helping” Ali the night in NYC only to help A get to the girls when they were phone less and without any other help. Except that Ezra totally messed that up. And lastly, it’s been really interesting to have Ali as part of the liars now and see the dynamic get all thrown off once a fifth girl was added, but I must say I really enjoyed seeing the liars come together as a foursome again today. They might all be trying to figure out who A is with Ali, but at the same time, their trying to figure out who Ali is. And I miss it just being the four of them. Five’s a crowd. Sorry Ali,

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Lizzy Buczak is the founder of CraveYouTV. What started off as a silly blog in her sophomore year at Columbia College Chicago turned her passion for watching TV into an opportunity! She has been in charge of CraveYou since 2011, writing reviews and news content for a wide variety of shows. Lizzy is a Music Business and Journalism major who has written for RADIO.COM, TV Fanatic, Time Out Chicago, Innerview, Pop’stache and Family Time.

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WATCH: The New ‘Pretty Little Liars’ Is Dark AF

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WATCH: The New 'Pretty Little Liars' Is Dark AF

‘A’ is not messing around in the Pretty Little Liars spinoff Original Sin.

If you thought we’d seen the last of ‘A’… think again. The masked stalker is back to torment a new group of little liars on the HBO Max series. 

The ten-episode season will debut Thursday, July 28 with three episodes. Two new episodes will follow on August 4 and 11, with the final three episodes debuting on August 18.

A new teaser for the series reveals the tone is going to be much darker than the original ever was, and that’s likely thanks to Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Riverdale, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) who serves as writer and co-executive producer. 

Check out the teaser — complete with a new version of the intro song “Secret.”

Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin synopsis: Twenty years ago, a series of tragic events almost ripped the blue-collar town of Millwood apart. Now, in present day, a disparate group of teen girls — a brand-new set of Little Liars — find themselves tormented by an unknown Assailant and made to pay for the secret sin committed by their parents two decades ago…as well as their own. In the dark, coming-of-age, horror-tinged drama PRETTY LITTLE LIARS: ORIGINAL SIN, we find ourselves miles away from Rosewood, but within the existing Pretty Little Liars universe — in a brand-new town, with a new generation of Little Liars.

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We Don’t Need a ‘Pretty Little Liars’ Reboot

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Pretty Little Liars Farewell, My Lovely

Pretty Little Liars, which premiered in 2010 on ABC Family (now Freeform), took fans on a rollercoaster ride. The twists and turns were so dramatic and exaggerated, halfway through the show’s 7 season run, many fans began to taper off. 

Dedicated fans, however, stuck it out despite the fact that the show was rapidly going off the rails. Why? Because they desperately needed to know the identity of “A,” and later, “AD,” once and for all. 

And the glorious day came on June 27, 2017. As we sat huddled up in front of our TV screens, we were filled with a mix of emotions ranging from confused, misled, and finally, relieved.

“Relief” is a strange emotion to feel when a show ends. Most fans tend to feel a sadness wash over them when the curtain falls, but with PLLthe finale was a sign that the madness was officially over. 

The journey with the liars is one we’ll never forget, but let’s face it – most fans are not clamoring for more, especially not a mere three years after the finale. Heck, some of us are still trying to piece that ending together in a way that makes any rational sense. 

We’re living in a time where reboots are hailed by TV executives as a sound and sure-fire idea. There’s plenty of examples of success: Dynasty, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Charmed, and Roswell, New Mexico. Even revivals that have honed a place in society with shows like The Conners and Fuller House both leading the pack. 

Pretty Little Liars PlAytime

PRETTY LITTLE LIARS – “PlAytime” – After Noel Kahn’s abrupt death, the Liars try putting their lives back together again in “Playtime,” the first of the final ten episodes of Freeform’s hit original series “Pretty Little Liars,” airing TUESDAY, APRIL 18 (8:00 – 9:02 p.m. EDT). Fans can catch up on where the Liars left off with an all-day marathon of season seven starting at 11:00 a.m. EDT and running up to the one-hour spring premiere at 8:00 p.m. EDT. (Freeform/Eric McCandless)
SHAY MITCHELL, LUCY HALE, TROIAN BELLISARIO

But the one thing that these reboots have in common is that the original shows aired a decade or more ago. The key to a successful reboot is nostalgia; they aim to hook the original fans while also appealing to a brand new generation. 

Reboots may either reimagine a familiar story with a modern spin and new characters or reunite fans with characters years later a la catching up with friends years after college. 

It’s obvious that PLL does not fall into the category of a show that warrants a reboot. Not yet, at least. There’s no sound argument when one could argue that enough time has passed to try to take a stab at this overly complex teen mystery drama once again.

One of my biggest gripes with the PLL reboot, which was officially announced as an HBO Max original, is that it doesn’t center around the original liars. 

I’m firm in my belief that had it not been for the popularity, relatability, and dynamic of Lucy Hale, Ashley Benson, Troian Belissario, Sasha Pieterse and Shay Mitchell, the show wouldn’t have found a cult-like following or lasted as long as it did. The ladies made the show worth watching and managed to sell us on every single outrageous storyline. 

Many of us stuck with the series because of our love for the liars. But the reboot, billed as “set miles away from Rosewood” in a new town, with a new set of characters, strips the very identity of PLL. 

How can you have a show without any involvement from Aria, Emily, Hannah, Spencer, and Alison? They are the pretty little liars. There is no show without them. No one is interested in watching a new generations of teens get tormented by threatening cyber-stalker who knows too much about their life, which was fun to watch partially because it paralleled the rise of technology and the fears surrounding privacy that came along with the emergence of social media.

Even if the ladies considered (and I use that term loosely — they are over here working on their careers and expanding their families, after all) returning for a reboot, not enough time has passed for a proper reunion. 

There’s been talk of a potential movie sequel involving the original liars, and truthfully, that’s an idea fans of the original could get behind. It would be a one-time thing, it wouldn’t overstay its welcome or feel forced, and it would hopefully gives fans the follow-up they’ve been dying for. 

Earlier this year, Hale said she wouldn’t “rule anything out” but ultimately, they’d “need a little more time to pass.”

“I feel like we would get more out of it if we were, like, 10 years down the road,” she explained to Entertainment Tonight, adding that she’s protective of the show. Hale worked with Roberto Roberto Aguierre-Sacasa on the short-lived Katy Keene, so I’m truly curious to see what she thinks about this upcoming reboot. Note: none of those involved with the original have weighed in or commented yet.  

Honestly, much of the pushback that I’ve seen about this rumored reboot is for that very reason — fans, even the ones who thought the finale came out of left-field and was a total dumpster fire — are also super protective of it. We don’t want anything or anyone to taint the show’s legacy. 

We also cannot ignore there’s the fact that PLL’s Marlene King attempted her own reboot of sorts shortly after the series concluded and even centered the storyline around two familiar faces, Alison DiLaurentis (Pieterse) and Mona Vaderwaal (Janel Parish), to drum up support and interest from the core fandom. That didn’t work.

PLL: Perfectionists lasted a whole ten episodes before Freeform pulled the plug leaving any fans that submitted themselves to yet another A-like mystery in the dark. It’s a shame the series wasn’t give a real chance because it had potential if it stayed true to the books and veered away from trying to make it so much like it’s predecessor. In this case, a complete overhaul could’ve worked if done right. 

And it’s probably better if I don’t mention Ravesnwood, the second PLL spinoff that centered around Caleb Rivers (Tyler Blackburn), which saw a lot of people seeing dead people in the neighboring town. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy the show’s ten-episode run, but it’s yet another example of the franchise trying to reinvent the wheel and failing miserably. 

If King couldn’t make these shows work while PLL was at its height, maybe it’s because the audience needed to take a break from the world of A?

Which brings me to my next point… Roberto Aguierre-Sacasa. You may not know the name, but if you love teen dramas, you’re familiar with his work. He’s the brains behind The CW’s successful and oftentimes disturbing teen thriller Riverdale.

One fan on Reddit noted that “PLL walked so Riverdale could run,” and let’s be honest, plenty of fans (and critics) have called the show a hot mess. However, that’s what we’ve come to love about Riverdale; it’s wacky, weird, and only tolerable when you suspend all disbelief.

He’s also proven himself in the reboot-realm with Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. CAOS is an entirely different ballgame; it’s a dark twist on the 90s sitcom Sabrina the Teenage Witch that pulls much of its inspiration from the Archie comics. It offers up an entirely new world featuring new takes on some beloved characters. Not to mention Sabrina wrapped its run in 1996 meaning enough time has passed; the world was ready for the Spellman’s once again. 

As I mentioned, CAOS is ending with its upcoming season while Aguierre-Sacasa’s other series, Katy Keene, was cancelled after just a season at The CW. 

I’m not questioning Aguierre-Sacasa’s qualifications — I’m a fan of his shows — but I don’t think jumping into and revamping a still-fresh franchise is necessary right now.

Apparently, neither does Twitter. One person commented that he should “stick to one show and make that good.” I’d prefer HBO Max gave Katy Keene another try rather than investing into this PLL reboot. 

The reboot seems to be hoping to capitalize on the the original fandom (the brief teaser features the same imagery as the original right down to the logo), but the fandom has opposed a reboot from the start. And they’ll be further alienated with the reboot’s description of a “horror-tinged, coming-of-rage” version.

Aguierre-Sacasa’s strength lies within creating shows permeated with twisted mysteries that have a campy, horror vibe, which is tonally different than the psychological mind games we’ve come to expect from PLL

There’s room for another teen thriller, obviously, but maybe it would be best to leave the franchise alone and call the show, which is shaping up to be its own entity anyway, something else entirely? “Original Sin” minus the “Pretty Little Liars” would have given the series a fresh-slate without any comparisons.

Here’s the show’s description so you can decide for yourself: “Twenty years ago, a series of tragic events almost ripped the blue-collar town of Millwood apart. Now, in the present day, a group of disparate teen girls — a brand-new set of Little Liars — find themselves tormented by an unknown Assailant and made to pay for the secret sin their parents committed two decades ago. as well as their own.”

I’ll watch merely out of curiosity and because I’ve made television my job, but man, I haven’t even had time to miss PLL yet. 

If you really need to feel the PLL-void in your life, the best thing to do is just stream the original episodes, because I think we can all agree that some things are better off left alone… at least until enough time has passed to revisit them through a new lens.

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‘Pretty Little Liars’ Cast Reunites for a Podcast that Involves Drinking and Rewatching Episodes!

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Pretty Little Liars Cast Including the Moms Reunite for Podcast

The moms of Rosewood got out of the basement just in time to start their own podcast!

Go mamas! 

All jokes aside, Holly Marie Comb (Aria’s mom Ella), Lesley Fera (Spencer’s mom Veronica) and Nia Peeples (Emily’s mom Pam) are reuniting to rewatch episodes together and offer some commentary. 

Honestly, I’ve always wanted to know what the moms of Rosewood thought about what their daughters were up to/involved in, especially since half the time, it didn’t seem like the liars even had parents! 

The podcast, titled “Pretty Little Wine Moms” (yes, ladies!) means that they will be sitting down with their favorite drinks and breaking down one episode at a time. Since they were a part of the production, they’ll be able to add in behind-the-scene tidbits. 

Here’s where things get super fun — each week’s episode will have a new special guest that joins in for the chat. 

According to Digital Spy, guests will range from other cast members, writers, directors, and producers. 

This month alone the podcast will feature Shay Mitchell (Emily Fields), Brant Daugherty (heads-will-roll Noel Kahn), and Torrey DeVitto (Melissa Hastings). 

In September, the lineup includes costume designer Mandi Line, writer/producer Bryan M. Holdman, Ashley Benson (Hannah Marin), Lucy Hale (Aria Montgomery), Sasha Pieterse (Alison DiLaurentis) and Tyler Blackburn (Caleb Rivers). 

I love how much support the moms are getting from the cast and that the cast is finding new ways to keep this fun and twisted show alive! 

Of course, we cannot wait for the mom-circle to be completed with a guest appearance by Laura Leighton (Hannah’s mom Ashley)!

The idea for the podcast came to Lesley where she was bored at home during COVID. She invited her co-stars to appear on her podcast with her husband, Ned Mochel, and fans were so thrilled that the moms were back together again, they figured why not roll with it?

We’re so glad they did. 

And we cannot wait for the mom’s to spill some tea! Maybe they’ll finally tell us how they got out of that basement…

Here’s a snippet of how I envision this podcast in my mind: 

 

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