By: Sanah Faroke/Columnist
Suspense: “Pretty Little Liars”
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Many die hard “Pretty Little Liars” fans rushed to the TV in hopes that the Summer Finale will reveal Alison’s legit murderer and the unveil who the mysterious “A” character is. As for myself, I saw my TV box recording PLL, but I didn’t dare watch it until the last possible moment I could- like one of those great novels that soon comes to an end, I tend to procrastinate the ending. Too bad I was using so much effort to resist the Pretty Little Liars temptation (and believe me, it is one), when the show did not give away half as much dirt as I was desperate to gain.
Throughout the summer, “Pretty Little Liars” made the beginning of my unbearable week seem to ‘top notch,’ even ‘A- status,’ if you will (I just had to). Gaining all the insight from the four characters- Aria, Spencer, Hannah, and Emily- the audience is strung on by information tossed to them by “A,” an anonymous character in the story who happens to know all of the girls’ secrets and manipulates them through blackmail into harsh, dangerous, and fatal scenarios.
PLL gives us as viewers a lot to sort through, but in small installments: Jenna and Garret’s creepy relationship; Hanna’s soon-to-be step-sisters’ intentions; the true cause of Alison’s death; and finally, when the girls for the first time, speak to an adult about “A’s” scheming towards them.
In the PLL summer finale, which aired this past Aug. 30, the girls were on a quest to retrieve Dr. Sullivan, the psychologist they spilled their guts to, but had suddenly gone “A-WOL” thanks to yours truly.
“A” thus sends them a box that held three porcelain dolls (go figure, let’s see how long it’ll take for each one to break), along with a demand for each girl- except Emily- that challenge their morals in return for a personal goal they wouldn’t dare attempt if “A” didn’t give them a little push.
Even when the girls satisfy “A,” which is always for a short while, “A” continues her blackmail streak once again when boredom arises. Aria mentions the difficulty of telling the truth; they’re so tangled in their web of lies that they’re convinced that giving up their filthy secrets or telling in truth is never an option.
Personally, as someone who is “morally sound” as one would put it, I completely disagree with the message that’s displayed for the young generation. Of course, there would be no show if they were goody- two shoes like me; a show called “Pretty Little Ladies” would never make it past the third episode. Regardless, implementing morality, even a tiny hint could help influence young viewers. Alison used to punish people with the truth, so maybe “A” is using the same concept to expose them.
While the trio fulfill their tasks, and Emily soon enough receives her own, we come to find that each task has brought their lives much deeper into the quicksand. Since the episode is a recollection of what had happened in the previous hours, which brought them to the police in the first place, it doesn’t nearly get as heated up as the conversation between Jenna and Garret who blatantly state that Jason did not kill his sister, they did!
According to Jenna, Alison deserved to die that way. I don’t know about you, but I do not want that crazy girl to get some Lasik surgery; imagine what she could do if she had all her senses?! But is it just me, or does it seem like Jenna has a keen sense of sight even with her blindness?
Even then, there were instances that seemed a bit predictable; Emily getting locked in the barn and Jenna playing a part in Alison’s murder, but my gut tells me there’s more to it than that. In the previous episode, Dr. Sullivan attempted to uncover “A,” and she noticed that her files gave her insight, therefore, “A” has been going to sessions with the “doc” (as soon during the closing credits a few episodes before).
While it could have all been a ploy to get closer to our “Liars”, if Jenna truly is “A” she would have needed therapy many years before now to recover from her traumatic blinding. If “A” isn’t Jenna, I believe it’s a girl. We’ve seen “A” online shop for military style boots, which were featured subtly on the person who dragged Emily from the barn. It is also extremely possible that “A” could be more than one person, like all the members of the “We See All” club…plus Jenna; she’s in my default since she’s dating Garret.
Questions I’ve been struggling with were deciphering whether Alison is just an illusion or are the girls, on an individual scale, having encounters of Alison, or Alison’s “spirit.” Maybe the fumes were too much for Emily to handle, but the poor girl has been hit with one blow after another. I feel as if each season focuses on tormenting one specific character. Last season it was Spencer, this season it’s Emily, and the next two seasons are not announced as yet, but honestly, I can’t take not knowing who “A” is for another two seasons!
All I know is, the second half of season two is going to be epic and is a definite ‘must-see.’ Don’t say you weren’t warned.
-A
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