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Pretty Little Liars

Pretty Little Liars- Thrown From the Ride (5×04)

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“I feel bad for her. It’s hard to still see Ali as the devil when she just escaped from hell.”

LDSV

Two can keep a secret if one of them is dead and it seems like Mr. Hasting’s is really good at keeping them. This week, we were able to dig a little deeper into the death of Mrs. DiLaurentis and with Spencer’s persistent detective work and a toxicology report, the signs all point to Mr. Hastings. But does that make it all a little too easy? Spencer could sense that something was off with her mom. It’s not really surprising, I’d be off of my game too if they had just found my neighbor buried dead in my backyard. After confronting her multiple times, Mrs. Hasting’s finally cracked and told Spencer he deepest, darkest fears– her husband is most likely behind Ali’s moms murder. Apparently, Jessica wanted to blame Spencer for Ali’s death. Mr. Hasting’s said that if she uttered a word, he would tell Ken (her husband at the time) about the affair they had, revealing that Jason was actually his child. This kept Jessica quiet, but with Ali alive and Ken and Jessica’s divorce finalized, there was nothing stopping her from going to the police with her fake story. Whoever she was protecting, she was really persistent. Even though Ali was alive, which meant that Spencer obviously didn’t kill her, there is still the girl in Ali’s grave. Therefore, Mrs. Hasting’s is totally convinced her husband had a hand in this. While cleaning up the yard with Andrew, Spencer finds rat poison, which was bought just a week ago and is fatal to humans. She thinks that her dad poisoned Ali’s mom, but her theory goes out the door when Ali say’s that the toxicology reports indicate someone messed with her pills. Whatever high blood pressure pills they switched her pills out with caused her heart to stop. Spencer is super relieved by the news that maybe her father wasn’t the murder she pegged him for, until she stumbled upon his prescription for the same pills used to kill Mrs.D.

KDL

Technically, this still doesn’t prove anything. Sure, Jason warned his half-sis that she should be wary of their father and the story seems really legit, but some things still don’t add up. Would Spencer’s mom really believe her husband was capable of that? And if so, he shut her up by sending her away to a “spa”. Then there’s also the Melissa mystery. After returning from London she seemed really upset that Ali lied about her death because there was another girl in the grave and her family was missing her. Why would she care so much? And what secret did she tell her father at the precinct? That secret is the real reason why everyone in the Hasting’s family has become suspicious of each other right? Maybe Melissa killed Mrs. D in order to protect Spencer? Honestly, this family has some unresolved issues.

The girls continued to take a beating this week at school. The stares, smirks and rumors just didn’t stop and Ali hadn’t even returned yet. The worst of them all was Mona, who was rounding up her troops in preparation for the big come back. And she’s going to extreme measures. Lucas jumping ship? Not on her watch. She’ll just reveal that Ali lied about her kidnapping story and she has a way to prove it. (Doesn’t she always?) Paige cozying up to team Emily? Not if team Mona has a say. After all, all she has to do is tell Paige that she’s lost Em’s to Alison and Paige is right back to her neurotic unconfident self. Mona thinks people need protection from evil Ali, but like Paige put it, when did she become the one thing she was so afraid of? The minute Ali disappeared, Mona took her spot. And while she may have the rest of the school fooled, she’s just as bitchy and manipulative as Ali was. Unfortunately, that realization hasn’t hit Hannah yet, whose taking a turn for the darker side. She rocked a new do this week, blonde with black low lights and even went back to her old habit of stealing to try to find the old Hannah. Despite going a little rogue, Hannah is the only one whose actually been a good friend to Ali since her return even taking her to her medical examination, which resulted in, you guessed it, more lies! Like where did that scar come from? The doc said it was most likely a knife wound, so please, do explain Ali!

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In other Mona news, she definitely knows more then she’s letting onto, but does she know that Aria killed Shawna? Aria seems to think so and the hiding the truth is eating her up. Her obsession this week literally became Shawna after she googled her name and found footage from the funeral. I was a little disturbed by the useless and dramatic exaggeration of Shawna rising from her grave. Such a cliche scare tactic, and a disturbing one at that. Aria found comfort in Ezra’s arms… well at least in his couch. She spent most of her time curled up there finding ways to deal with murdering her fellow class-mate. Clearly, the self-defense explanation didn’t even have Aria convinced. On the other hand, it was really nice to see Ezra and Aria getting along. It’s surprising that she flat out trust’s him this much again, but it kind of felt like old times. Murder and love are really the two things surrounding Aria at the moment.

And with Spencer occupied with the news that her dad might be a murderer, we’re left with Emily, whose helping out the new girl Sydney get better at swimming. She’s also enjoying some lunch with Paige and living a breezy life. That is until Paige stops by and informs her that there’s people rallying up a team against Alison. This kind of freaks Em out a bit and she visits Ali, telling her that it would probably be best if she left town like her father offered. Yeah, right. Like A would allow Ali to just leave! She’s also coming to terms with the fact that she’s been avoiding Ali emotionally because she’s too scared of getting attached again.

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One thing I do think is important to mention is that there’s really something off about Ali. While I feel bad for her and everything she’s gone through, I can’t help but think that maybe she actually is just a compulsive liar. At first I thought that her story in the precinct was a cover up to protect her from A. But since the girls think A is really dead, why doesn’t Ali just tell the truth? And why do the girls continue to help her lie? My realization came when Ali was writing a text to Emily and when she signed it, she wrote -A. After a brief moment she added Alison. Could this have been a sign? The writers telling us that maybe Ali was A all along, but with her back in town, she wants the girls to think A is gone? It’s definitely a theory that’s taking front and center now. Did you see how easy it was for her to lie to the doctor about her scar? Everything Ali says to everyone is a lie. Maybe she just doesn’t know how to be truthful anymore?

All these girls have ever wanted was a moment in time where Ali was alive again and A was gone. Now they have it and their completely unsure of what to do with themselves. We know A isn’t really gone, but in this moment, he/she is and that’s all that matters. There’s silence. There’s no more monsters. There’s no more text messages. There’s secrets, which will always be there as long as Ali is around, but most of their problems seemed to have vanished… temporarily at least. We’ve stepped away from all of the hubbub surrounding Ali and A and literally just let the liars explore their emotional states. And after the few years they’ve been having, they are definitely emotional wrecks. Their also addicted to the thrill of mystery and adventure. They don’t know what it’s like to just be normal. To not be associated with Ali or with A trying to ruing their lives. Without that, they begin creating their own problems and causing their own self-demise. Spencer continues to dig into Mrs. D’s death and creating more problems. Hannah is stealing and it seems like she knows she might be being watched. Aria is working it out with Ezra, which might not be healthy and telling him this truth that she doesn’t know he’ll actually keep, and Emily is getting mixed up in a love triangle between ex-Paige, first love Ali and new girl Sydney, who I think is also hiding something relevant to the storyline. Next week is the 100th episode and that means double the trouble, double the fun!

KS

Memorable Quotes

  • Aria: We’re still a freak show, now we’re just a freak show in natural light.
  • Paige: Mona, do you ever wonder when you became the very thing your afraid of?

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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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