Life as a teenage lady within the 2010s couldn’t have been extra intoxicating. There was a surplus of cringey romances and delicious teen mysteries to watch after an extended day of faculty. It was the period of vampiric love triangles, of gossiping elites, and of Dylan O’Brien with luggage beneath his eyes. Amid these scandals was the hunt to determine who “A” was within the seven-season mystery-thriller Pretty Little Liars, arguably essentially the most iconic of all these TV reveals. The collection is a heady mixture of drama, dying, friendship, and romance, one that’s nonetheless addictive to observe for its timeless meditation on how secrets and techniques fester and corrupt every part they contact.
The Fairly Little Liars in query are the artsy Aria (Lucy Hale), whose mother and father are getting divorced, the not too long ago common lady Hanna (Ashley Benson), who’s nonetheless getting used to her weight reduction, the sporty Emily (Shay Mitchell), who’s navigating her sexuality, and the high-achieving Spencer (Troian Bellisario), whose household is… one thing. It has been a yr since their fifth good friend — an authorized imply lady who led the group, Alison DiLaurentis (Sasha Pieterse) — went lacking, and the 4 estranged women are united when her physique is discovered. However with this comes mysterious textual content messages from A, somebody who threatens to spill all their darkest secrets and techniques.
‘Fairly Little Liars’ Is Timeless and Addictive in Its Darkish Thriller From the Begin
Whether or not you are new to Fairly Little Liars or an previous fan, the present is timeless in its thriller and outlook on teenage life. The investigation into A’s id is on the forefront, the place the narrative twists and turns after every episode, holding you in your toes. Even when you already know who A is, re-watching the present alerts you to new clues you’ll have positively missed earlier than. Regardless of being focused in the direction of youngsters, the present really veers into some genuinely darkish and twisted locations, particularly because it by no means ignores the adults within the present and drags them into the more and more heart-pounding thriller. From suicide to creepy dolls, there are many causes so that you can really feel plain stress, notably within the Season 5 finale, “Welcome to the Dollhouse.” The episode title says all of it.
Past the central thriller that may simply eat your consideration is the hyperbolic but genuine method Pretty Little Liars represents the high school experience. It dramatizes the very possible way highschool appears to entrap a young person, the place feelings and drama really feel larger-than-life, whereas including the intrigue and darkness of dying. Between these rampant feelings is the heavy reliance on friendships for one’s self-worth and normal emotional help, in addition to the mistrust of authority figures like lecturers or mother and father. As an grownup revisiting the collection, you additionally get a possibility to chastise your teenage self for fawning over Aria’s romance. (Who knew you possibly can ever facet with the mother and father?) It is highschool escapism that validates the overwhelming nature of adolescence — timeless and disturbingly relatable.
‘Fairly Little Liars’ Set the Stage for Sensible Breakout Performances
Fairly Little Liars did not solely ship an addictive present, but additionally acted as a stage for some breakout performances by actors we’d continuously return to. The 4 girls on the forefront are one of the best examples, as their performances developed because the seasons progressed, rising in nuance and expertise. Hale boasted her affinity as a romantic lead as Aria (regardless of Aria’s controversial romance), and would later dazzle us with the likes of The Hating Game or Which Brings Me To You. In the meantime, Mitchell’s Emily, who grew from a “good lady” to somebody with a robust presence, would later flaunt her skill to demand consideration in You or The Possession of Hannah Grace.
However it’s Bellisario’s efficiency that basically shaped the idea of the present’s grit and depth, as she showcases a variety of visceral feelings, from terror to conceitedness. Spencer is arguably the beating coronary heart of the present, the place her sharp wit, intelligence, and naturally suspicious perspective drove the thriller ahead, whereas her barely askew ethical compass and more and more ominous household made for some darkish scenes. Bellisario herself would later gravitate towards grittier roles in Feed or, extra not too long ago, On Name, all stemming from her mesmerizing efficiency in Fairly Little Liars.
It might be a present that many dismiss as a typical teenage romp of its period, however Fairly Little Liars is highly effective in its personal proper. It united a complete era of teenage women on the hunt for A’s identity with a twisted thriller that also holds up in the present day, whereas capturing the underbelly of feelings of the highschool expertise. If you happen to watch it as your secret responsible pleasure, even higher. Within the phrases of Alison DiLaurentis, “mates share secrets and techniques, it is what retains us shut.”
