The TV Chick

I was out of town for the 2nd episode of Pretty Little Liars so I was unable to review it, but I thought it was fantastic. The momentum really picked up when we were introduced to Jenna, a girl who Alison and her friends inadvertently blinded with a stink bomb. Emily and the girl next door Maya get closer and we learn more about the lengths that Hanna’s mom Ashley will go to save face. And of course Aria made out with her hot teacher again.

Last night’s episode titled “To Kill A Mocking Girl” is very cleverly named given the book they are all reading in school. The girls going hiking to remember Alison but of course get a new text from A making reference to hunting season. Hanna is still dealing with the aftermath of her stealing the sunglasses. Her mom Ashley is sleeping with Darren Wilden (the police chief) so that the store will drop the charges but in the end is very protective of her daughter and kicks him out. Hanna tries to have sex with Sean at Noel Kahn’s big party and he rejects her. This leads Hanna to steal Sean’s car keys, crash his car and run off. Oh Hanna, when will you learn?

Aria thinks all is going well with her family until Meredith (the girl she saw her dad making out with in the flashbacks with Ali) shows up and weasels her way into her family’s life. She confronts her but it does no good. Meredith clearly still has feelings for her father and is not going to back down to Aria’s demands. If only her mother Ella weren’t so naive.

Spencer has to face Melissa after she catches her making out with her fiancee. She tries to convince Melissa that Wren put the moves on her. Of course Melissa and her mom are like two peas in a pod and she is unforgiving. Spencer goes to talk to Wren in the city (presumably Philadelphia). Wren admits he has tried to clear her name but Melissa won’t take his phone calls. He also semi-creepily tells her that he obviously fell for the wrong sister.

Emily is probably the most torn up over Emily and Maya is there to help her. In the last episode, she kissed Ben in the car in front of everyone, clearly trying to prove a point (yoiu know, that she likes boys and not girls). In this episode, Ben is all over her but she wants him to stop. Toby Cavanagh (yep, the stepbrother to Jenna who was blamed for blinding her and who Ali thought was a pervert) shows up in the girl’s locker room at beats Ben up. She shows up to Noel’s party with Maya and they kiss in a photo booth. Of course, someone takes the pictures and at the end is blowing them up and copying them over and over. Oh Emily, the future isn’t looking so good for you…

All of the girls have their own secrets to deal with and the big Jenna thing. Who do you think A is? Is Alison really still alive? Since I’ve read the books, I know a great deal but the show has really brought all of the girls to life. They have kept a lot from the books (which is great) but also added their own little takes on things. I never pictured Jenna the way she is portrayed on screen — cool, calm, collected and gorgeous. I also really love the way they do flashbacks. Scenes like that could be overdone or done in a cheesy way but I really feel like we are getting to the essence of Alison. There is of course more to her than meets the eye and I’m sure we will find that out soon (no need to rush things). I like that the parental relationships in this show are important as well. They are all too often glazed over with a scene thrown in for good measure. But the adults are a big part of Pretty Little Liars. I’d love to see more of the Hastings household however, so we can see where Spencer gets her need to be perfect attitude. (Also brief side note,  Meredith’s last name was Sorensen which is the last name of Make It Or Break It’s creator Holly Sorensen. Perhaps it was a coincidence, but I liked this nod to another ABC Family show)

I was a bit skeptical of all the girls looks at first (minus Lucy Hale as Aria)  because when you read a book series you get a very specific vision in your head. However, after only a few episodes, I think each actress has really grown into their roles. I love dramas like this but Pretty Little Liars is unique in its concept and storylines. It’s not your average high school drama, and I love that. Despite the fact that there is an endgame for the books, I feel that there is a wealth of material to work with. The show is lighthearted while at the same time keeping the mystery and intrigue. I, for one, can’t wait to see more (and not in a pervy Toby Cavanaugh type way).