Pretty Little Liars

For a show based on anonymous phone calls, texts, and lipstick-written messages, Pretty Little Liars has managed to capture my attention for the few weeks it has been aired. The show circles around four best friends who had all lost touch after the disappearance of their group ‘leader’. Once Aria Montgomery (Lucy Hale) returns from her year in Iceland, pieces of her life are put back together and friendships are reunited. We are first shown the character’s lives in the present then what they all used to be and how much they have changed. Each girl—though they are reluctant in admitting it—all have a secret. Emily Fields (Shay Mitchell) is struggling with her sexuality, Spencer Hastings (Troian Avery Bellisario) is torn between living up to her parent’s expectations and being who she wants to be (along with a few indiscretions with her sister’s boyfriends), Hanna Marin (Ashley Benson) has been on a year-long shoplifting spree, and Aria—well, Aria is adjusting to her old town just fine by unknowingly hooking up with her high school English teacher, Mr. Fitz.

Throughout the first episode, the girls are all getting somewhat familiar with each other once again since the disappearance of Allison, the girl who brought them all together. It is only after they all start receiving eerie messages from the mysterious A that they realize they have more in common than they thought.

To be honest, when I first decided to watch the pilot, the show just didn’t appeal to me. It was confusing and completely impossible to what would actually happen in a situation where—supposedly—the ghost of their best friend is haunting them via 21st technology and with cheesy one-liners that would have Gossip Girl running for her money. However, the episode did leave you wanting to find out what happens next, so I watched the second. The second then led to the third, and now here I am, waiting impatiently for next Tuesday. Being a person of reason, especially when it comes to horror/suspense movies and shows, it took me a while to wrap my mind around the fact that in this show—where everyone seems to be extremely good-looking and well-dressed for a bunch of post-pubescent teenagers—you can have a secret that might just be exposed by your dead best friend’s sadistic texts.

The setting is dark, but not dreary and sullen. It has more saturation and sharpness than anything else. The primary colours being browns and mahoganies, giving the show an edgy yet very 1800’s mystery novel feel. It’s like a cross between the very chic styling of Gossip Girl and drama-filled, on-the-edge-of-your-seat pace of CSI...with a twist of raging teen hormones and best friend’s ghosts.

All in all, it is a pretty entertaining show to watch, especially during the summer when all other series are done. It’s not exactly thought-provoking, but it’s something a few of those crappy teen horror movies could learn a thing or two from.