i’ve lost count of how many times i’ve watched pretty little liars. i first watched it somewhere around 2022, and since then, i keep going back to it. sometimes i start from the beginning, sometimes i just jump into random episodes, but somehow i always find my way back to rosewood.
and despite all the ridiculous plot holes, the unrealistic decisions, and the moments that make absolutely no sense… i still love it.
for anyone who somehow hasn’t heard of it, pretty little liars follows the story of four girls, spencer, aria, hanna and emily. their friend alison, who was basically the queen bee of their group, mysteriously disappeared. after that, the girls slowly drifted apart and went on with their own lives. for one year, just before the anniversary of the disappearance.
everything changes when they start receiving anonymous text messages from someone known only as “a”. this mysterious person seems to know every secret they’ve ever had. not just the old ones that only alison should have known about, but also the new ones they’ve kept hidden since her disappearance. from that moment on, their lives become a constant game of secrets, threats, and trying to figure out who “a” really is.
pretty little liars is based on the novel series by sara shepard, but the show eventually takes its own path with the story.
the entire show revolves around the mystery of “a”, the anonymous figure who seems to know everything about the girls and uses that knowledge to torment them. the suspense keeps you guessing, even when the show throws twist after twist that sometimes feel like they were made up on the spot.
and yes, when the big reveal finally happens… it’s honestly a little disappointing. the explanation doesn’t fully make sense, and it feels like the mystery was stretched out for way too long just to keep the show running.
but somehow, that still doesn’t stop me from watching it again. maybe it’s the nostalgia, maybe it’s the atmosphere of the show. the dark secrets of rosewood, the constant tension, the feeling that anyone could be hiding something. maybe it’s just the comfort of returning to characters you’ve spent so much time with.
speaking of characters, my favourite 'liar' has always been hanna. she’s funny, chaotic, emotional, and sometimes impulsive, but that’s exactly what makes her so lovable. hanna feels the most human out of all of them. she says what she thinks, makes mistakes, and still manages to be one of the strongest characters in the group. a lot of my favourite moments in the show come from her.
i also love the romance in this show. except ezria (ezra and aria). because honestly… what the hell was that? that was illegal. my favourite couple has always been haleb (hanna and caleb). in my opinion they had the strongest relationship compared to the others in the show. the way they kept each other grounded and supported one another, even after breaking up a few times, always finding their way back to each other again. something about their relationship always felt the most genuine to me.
as for the parents, my favourite was definitely wayne fields (emily’s dad). he was probably the most decent and unproblematic parent in the entire show. but i also have a soft spot for ashley marin (hanna’s mom). she’s a very cool mom in her own way, even if she made some… questionable decisions.
when it comes to the “a” reveals, i still think mona was the best “a” out of all of them. her story and her motives made the most sense. after that, things started getting more and more complicated and honestly a little ridiculous. though i love the ravenswood and the dollhouse episodes.
there are honestly so many thoughts i have about this show that i could probably keep writing forever. but i won’t go into every single opinion i have because it would never end. just know that pretty little liars will probably remain one of those shows i return to every now and then. i also still find myself reading the pretty little liars subreddit from time to time. even years later people are still discussing theories, characters, and the endless chaos of this show.
one of the things i’ve always liked about pretty little liars is how addictive it is. you start one episode and suddenly it’s three hours later. the show constantly ends episodes with cliffhangers that make it impossible not to press “next episode”.
at the same time, it can also be incredibly frustrating. the timeline barely makes sense, new secrets appear out of nowhere, and some characters seem to exist only to complicate the story further. sometimes it feels like the writers were just trying to outdo themselves with bigger twists every season.
and yet, somehow, it still works. pretty little liars is not a perfect show. not even close. it’s messy, unrealistic, and full of questionable writing choices. but it’s also incredibly entertaining. and clearly entertaining enough that i keep rewatching it over and over again. no matter how many plot holes i notice, no matter how ridiculous some moments are, i still find myself pressing play on episode one again eventually.
i guess some shows just become comfort shows like that.
xoxo, a. (yes, i was inspired by pretty little liars)