Pretty Little Liars Thoughts/Review
**Warning, this entry may contain book spoilers. Also, this is only up until the 6th episode, first season**
Ok before I begin my analysis/whatever of the show, can I just say how freaking EXCITED I am that this is on TV?!!?! I started reading the series a few years back and fell in love with them. I was instantly attracted to the drama and the each of the girl's personality, connecting to them was easy and effortless. Because of the omniscient POV, you were allowed into each one's head and could sense their pain, humiliation among other emotions. I bought and followed the series up until the 5th book, where I stopped because I didn't have access to the rest of them. I'll catch up eventually. The 8th and final book was released on June 8 2010, the same day as the premier of the television show.
To differentiate between the book and the new television series, I will dub 'PLL' as the book and refer to the show with the full name.
The cover is so freaky. I've spent so much time flipping the book back and forth to check the doll and the actual model. The detailing on the doll is so alike, it's practically the same!
Plot: I'm very satisfied with the plotline so far in the series. I'm glad the show does not follow the book to a T, yet does not change around any major events that happened. The show slows down some storylines (such as Aria and Ezra's relationship) and speeds up the ones that would drag in the show (Emily and Maya). My concern is that they're moving through the books quite quickly. They've reached Perfect already (3rd book) and Pretty Little Liars is only on the 6th episode. The summaries of the new episodes on wikipedia are unfamiliar to me, which means that they'll be incorporating some new storylines with the old. I'm sad, because I won't know what's going to happen anymore ):
Spencer (Troian Bellisario) : In the PLL book series, she was the main character and appeared on the cover of the first book. I guess they switched her with Aria. In the book, she was an extremely competitive, hardworking, straight A, rugby playing superstar. Also, she was kinda of a bitch. Even with all that, she was constantly reminded how inferior she was to her older sister, Melissa, whos level of perfection Spencer could never reach. In the TV show, she was portrayed as a weaker version of Spencer in the book, who was confident and strong and always had her shit together. I'm not really loving the new Spenc- I don't think her skinny ass is any match for A. Bellisario's acting could be better, most of the time she just looks really surprised. I don't think her acting is strong enough to carry off Spencer.
Hanna (Ashley Benson) : She was my favorite character in PLL, HANDS DOWN. I related to her in so many ways and I could feel her pain when things ended in disaster. In PLL, she was a former dork who changed her look after Ali went missing and then became the new Queen Bee with Mona. She became a slutty dresser and a complete bitch to EVERYONE. However, behind the mask was the old Hanna who was afraid of turning back into a loser.
In Pretty Little Liars, I was ecstatic to see that they followed most of the guidelines in PLL. Some differences is that Hanna is really friendly in the show, in PLL she would barely talk to her old frds if she could help it.
But I was really pleased with how her character turned out. I would be upset if they butchered my favorite Liar but they didn't! I think Benson's a good actor and portrayed Hanna well.
Emily (Shay Mitchell) : In PLL, Emily was a quiet, obedient daughter of a very conservative family. She was a star pupil and a competitive swimmer. She was at Rosewood Day on a scholarship. In the show, Emily was pretty much exactly how she appeared in the book. can I just take a second to mention how stunning Shay Mitchell is?? She's a mix of Flip and Scottish, she's Canadian and she resided in Vancouver! Holla. She was also a model for Aeropostale and I don't blame them, she's so exotic and gorgeous that I have trouble paying attention to the plot! I really like her as Emily, she's a quite natural actresses.
I have no idea where her relationship with Toby is going, after she finds out the secret that he's hiding, she will never talk to him again. I don't get why the show is giving him a background. I used to think that he was ugly, but after seeing him angry and with a tattoo, I'm thinking DAMNNN.
Aria (Lucy Hale) : Aria in PLL was this kooky girl who never truly fit in. She was encouraged to be herself so she had pink streaks in her hair, carried around a puppet and dressed in crazy bohemian shit. After she got back from Iceland, she was instantly miserable and felt alone so she went to a bar. Once there, she met Ezra and they had an instant connection. After talking for hours and drinking, they went to make out in a bathroom. Then she found out that he was her teacher, blah blah blah.
In Pretty Little Liars, Lucy Hale is GORGEOUS as Aria. I'm so mesmerized by her gigantic eyes and spend my time wondering if she's got falsies on. She's the prettiest Liar which is different because Hanna was supposed to be it. Lucy Hale is great on Pretty Little Liars, I see good things for her.
Ramblings:
- In PLL, when Aria's mom found out that Aria hid the affair from her, she kicked her out of the house. I'm so glad that didn't happen (yet?) in the show because that would make her seem pretty irrational and a mega bitch.
- I absolutely love how vicious Jenna is to the Liars. It's like she's getting back at them for all the times they were mean to her. In PLL, Jenna is quiet and kind and tells Aria that she forgives them
-I wish the dialogue was cleverer and the script better written. Not saying that it's terrible but it would be more relateable and enjoyable if there were some humour and complex language inserted in the show. Sometimes I find myself cringing at the awkward moments when nothing is said.
- I'm loving Lucas because he injects some badly needed comic humour to the otherwise serious show.
-In PLL, Rosewood Day was a prestigious private school they attended. I guess they changed that for the show otherwise it'll be even more of a Gossip Girl dupe and because they can attract audiences with the hot clothes the Liars rock.
My favorite quote in the book.
The latest episode of Pretty Little Liars that came out on Tuesday (6th) was the BEST one that they've come up with IMO. It was perfect, they had everything; suspense, mystery, hot girls, hot guys with tattoos, deranged hot guys with tattoos that turn out to be your best friend's killer, hot dresses, bitch Melissa, Lucas, schools that still give out prizes for failing at midfair games, breakups, a blind girl in a room of mirrors, a lesbian shunned, a queen crowned and one less person in the quaint town of Rosewood.
It was awesome!
P.S. Wanna know who A is?
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It's me! 8D
I'm just kidding, but I can give a hint to the non-book followers that haven't figured it out yet (it's removed from wikipedia).
This was actually written in the second book as a hint to the readers. Not word for word.
"Spencer may have straight As, but I've got As to my name. " ~ A
(:
