Hey there, my Pretties! This week, PLL wrapped up its third summer season with a hot sex scene, the discovery of a bastard child, another dead body, and a shocking twist that absolutely blew last season’s arguably anti-climactic reveal of Mona as “A” out of the water. Though admittedly a bit less action-packed than past seasons, season 3A of PLL still managed to serve up some genuine scares (Mona’s “nursery rhyme” anyone?), a few great one liners (“Bitch can see!”), and some tantalizing clues that kept fans guessing each week, long after the final credits rolled.
So, hold on to your teeth, check your dolls for hidden recording devices, and always keep that wooden mannequin leg handy (You never know when you might have to murder a snake with it.), because here comes a Pretty Little Season 3A retrospective . . .
THE GOOD
After Mona’s “outing” as A last season, I think a lot of fans, myself included, worried that PLL would begin to run out of steam. “Would subsequent seasons of the show just be more of the same?” We wondered . . . another A . . . more text messages . . . a few empty scares and clues that would end up going no where . . . until it was ultimately revealed that the story was turning out just as the books had predicted it would.
And yet, somehow, the writers and producers of PLL managed to overcome this obstacle . . . at least, partially, by giving the season a darker, more mature, tone (the girls are seniors now, after all), introducing some new characters, while delving further into some older ones, and creating some really solid standalone moments that brought back memories of what the show was like in its groundbreaking first season.
So, without further adieu, I present to you, “The Good” of Season 3A . . .
Best Scares/ Moments of Season 3A
Maya-normal activity
Admittedly, I had a lot of issues with the Maya St. Germaine murder mystery, as you’ll see in “The Bad” below. That said, one aspect of this B-plot that I enjoyed thoroughly was the use of web videos to increase the intrigue, and heighten the fright factor, of what otherwise could have become just another “cold case” type story. Just as the PLL writers have always done with their trademark Dead Ali Flashbacks, Maya’s web diary, helped to make Maya a more interesting and mysterious dead character, than she ever was a live one.
In addition to providing some “slice of life” character insight, Maya’s videos also heightened the tension of the scenes in which they were featured, because the viewer always knew that, just outside the video frame, someone was out there trying to KILL her. This technique sort of harkened back to “Ali’s Last Video Debut from Season 1.” I’m sure you guys remember that one . . .
However, one of my favorite video moments of the season actually didn’t come from Maya’s video diary at all. Rather, it came from the surveillance video that Noel Kahn sent Spencer to exculpate himself as a murder suspect. The makers of the Paranormal Activity series will tell you, there’s just something about a grainy surveillance video, featuring seemingly random footage of people you know that’s inexplicably scary. Maybe it’s the feeling of “authenticity” you get from watching something with a time stamp. Or, maybe it’s because they catch you off guard, by being so boring most of the time, and then, converting to BATSH*T CRAZY MODE, just when you’re about ready to change the channel . . .
All I know is that when Maya, seconds after appearing on screen, got yanked out of the frame by an unseen evildoer, I jumped out of my seat, for the first time, this season . . .
Show Me Your Teeth
Sure, it was campy, and not particularly believable, but I love that the “A” team made a necklace out of real teeth, and slipped it into Emily’s bag at school. I mean, sure, I imagine those chompers could have come from any number of mundane places . . . the dentists office, some way-too-proud parents commemorative jar, the tooth fairy . . . But just the mere idea that the A Team might have hand plucked pearly whites from Ali’s now nearly two-year old corpse is disgustingly genius!
Truth or Scare
Because the girls are forced to deal with some pretty adult stuff on a daily basis, we often forget the fact that, back when they were hanging out with Ali, they were all still REALLY young. That’s why some of my favorite PLL moments take seemingly innocent childhood toys and games, and present them in a creepier, much more sinister, light. The most obvious example of this are those ugly-as-sin talking dolls that have fast become Evil!Mona’s calling card. Halloween masks, Ouiji Boards, pumpkins, and super cute clown banks have also been used to create this same effect.
This season, however, the PLL writers boldly tackled a place where only middle school sleepover parties have gone before: Truth or Dare. We’ve all played this one before, right? It’s a game that, at it’s tamest, involves revealing secret crushes to your friends, and at it’s most bawdy typically involves flashing people, and making dirty prank phone calls.
But PLL somehow managed to turn a simple game of Truth or Dare into a tantalizing game of Cat and Mouse, during which Rosewood’s two most intense residents, Spencer Hastings and Jenna Cavanaugh each tried to out interrogate one another. And while the game, itself, didn’t exactly reveal to fans, anything they didn’t already know, it was still incredibly fun to watch . . .
Snakes at a Fashion Show
Let’s face it. Snakes are SCARY! If they weren’t, nobody would have ever bothered to make a movie, who’s entire plot featured them slithering around on a plane. So despite the fact, that I have no idea how anyone on the so-called A-team managed to (a) buy that kind of a snake; and (b) slip it into a box of clothing without anyone being any the wiser, the ick factor produced when Spencer opened that box, and that disgusting snake started nipping at her heels, had me squealing at my TV set.
But that wasn’t the best part. The best part was when Cece Drake “rescued” Spencer though, honestly, it’s seems pretty obvious she had something to do with the darn thing being there in the first place by . . . wait for it . . . beating the CRAP out of the snake with a MANNEQUIN LEG! Girls got skills . . .
Child’s Play – Mona van der Waal Edition
I’m going to discuss Mona’s dialogue in this scene a bit more in depth in the “clues” section. For now, I just wanted to fangirl a bit about this scene itself, and how it seemed custom-made to produce chills in anyone who happened to be watching at the time . . . from the abandoned corridor in the already creepy insane asylum . . . to the implication that there are enough Crazy Babies, and/or Crazy Mom’s with Babies for said insane asylum to have a Toddler’s Ward . . . to that terrifying way Mona had of stroking the dolls lovingly like that Creepy Ring Monster from Lord of the Rings, while speaking in this whisper-soft, sing-song voice that made you feel like, any minute, her head was going to start spinning around and green-stuff was going to pour out of her mouth . . In short, it was AWESOME!
Best one-liners
“Or, I’ll show my boobs and we’ll be news again.”
Why: Because Drunk!Emily is always ten times more fun than Sober!Emily. And because, no matter how old I get, the word “boobs,” still makes me cover my hand over my mouth and giggle like an eight-year old who just heard a “naughty word.”
“Bitch can see!”
Why: We’ve all known Blind Jenna could see for ages. But there was something genuinely satisfying about having the girls FINALLY figure it out. And Lucy Hale’s wide-eyed, yet uncharacteristically “street,” delivery of the line was priceless (and made me secretly want to watch Jenna and Aria “rumble” in the school parking lot. For the record, my money would be on Aria. She may be small, but she’s scrappy!
“When you baby squirrel Ezra, you are stealing his nuts.”
Just the images on Tumblr of Ian Harding’s head on a squirrel’s body that followed the episode in which this statement appeared, were enough to make me fall in love with this line. Plus, once again, the eight-year old school girl in me, got a real kick about the fact that, no matter how you slice it, Spencer was talking to Aria about Fitzy’s Man Parts . . .
Best New Character – Cece Drake
When you are coming onto a show in its third season as a new character, the deck is already stacked against you. TV fans aren’t particularly known for being fond of change. And chances are, the new character is being brought in to mess with their Ships, and Gal Pals, which makes it even harder for the Newbie to develop his or her own fanbase.
I’ll be honest, I was all set to dislike Cece Drake, when her character was first introduced in the middle of the Season. Though she was portrayed as a possible early muse for Ali, I thought for sure she’d be the straight-to-video version of a complex character I had actually grown to adore over the seasons. However, as the season progressed, I developed a soft spot for Cece’s Fiercely-Loyal-Mean Girl-Who-Likes-to-Party-Persona.
Of course, I don’t trust her, as far as I can throw her, but the PLL girls have all become SO serious lately, that it’s nice to throw a character into the mix, who clearly doesn’t give a rats about anything, but living in the moment, and having a good time. Did I mention she MURDERED A SNAKE WITH A MANNEQUIN LEG?
Best Villain – Mona van der Waal
As I mentioned earlier, I was one of the people, who were annoyed by the writer’s decision to stay loyal to the books, and make Mona “A.” Though I thought Janel Parrish did a great job with the material she was given, during the first season, I thought her reveal as a Crazy Psychotic Loon in last season’s finale was too abrupt, and not necessarily believable.
Fast forward to season 3A, and Mona has become one of the best villains on TV. Alternating from nearly comatose, to syrupy sweet, to oddly sympathetic, to creepily childlike, to batsh*t crazy, to EVIL!GENIUS MASTERMIND in the course of just twelve episodes, you never really knew what you were going to get, whenever Mona van der Waal appeared on screen. But you always knew it was going to be spectacular . . .
Best clue- Mona’s secret code
Perhaps suffering from “A Fatigue,” I found it difficult to become invested in PLL during the first few episodes of Season 3A. Basically, I just couldn’t bring myself to care all that much about which 5 or 6 suspicious-looking Rosewood residents stole Ali’s coffin, and took Drunk!Emily on a Wild Ride. More on that later . . .
However, all that changed, during the episode “Crazy,” when Mona started speaking in her super special code. Suddenly, I was like a Season 1 PLL fan again, re-watching scenes, stalking the message boards, and ravenously hunting through trade magazine for spoilers. What I loved about this code, was that it never took fan’s intelligence for granted. The PLL writers had enough faith that us fans would pick up on the hidden messages in the scene. And we did, which made solving the mystery that much more fun . . .
Best flashback – The story of Pigskin
If you’ve read this blog before, you might know that I was never Paige’s biggest fan. (I belive the nickname “Little Orphan B*tchy” was used once or twice. And while I’m still not 100% sold on the character, or her relationship with Emily, I adored the opportunity to delve deeper into her psyche this season.
One of the best opportunities us fans had to get to know Paige better, was the flashback involving her and Ali. Sure, it made Paige look a little crazypants, with those marks she left on Ali’s back (though, not nearly as crazy pants as she looked when she tried to DROWN EMILY), but it also explained a heck of a lot about Paige’s treatment of Emily, and arguably disturbing behavior, during those early episodes. I mean, how could you not sympathize with the poor girl, after Ali stole her love letter to Emily, thereby humiliating her in the worst, and most personal way possible?
Well, actually, this hair is more humiliating . . .
Oh, and she ended up NOT being Maya’s killer . . . so . . . that was nice . . .
THE BAD
Ah, yes . . . the Positivity Train has officially left the station . . . at least temporarily. Here’s the part of the blog, where I talk about the aspects of Season 3A that I thought didn’t work, and dragged down an otherwise solid season . . .
Worst twist – Nate is Maya’s stalker / killer
Come on now, PLL writers! No one, for a second, believed that the super creepy, suspiciously appearing, and not the least bit interesting or likeable “Nate St. Germaine” was Maya’s real cousin, or anything, other than exactly what he turned out to be, Maya’s stalker / murderer. So, the fact that this guy spent no less than twelve episodes, eating up screentime, with his fake Maya Memories, and his cringe-worthy attempts at “bonding with Emily,” were more frustrating than they were fascinating. It also made Emily look like a TOTAL MORON (more on that later), for falling for his tricks . . .
Maybe if the writers (and the actor who played Nate) made the character look like a bit less of a lecher, from the get go, more of us would have actually been fooled by the guy . . .
Worst Plotlines –
PLL parents try dating
Yeah, sorry. Maybe this makes me sound ageist. But I don’t watch PLL to see Ashley Marin date the Dull as Dishwater Deacon, or Byron Montgomery date that blonde twit student with whom he cheated on Ella. And, yes, the American Pie Guy is hot and charming. But I don’t watch PLL to see him makeout with Ella in the coffee shop either. None of this has ANYTHING to do with Ali’s death or “A.”
Just sayin’ . . .
Emily’s “lost night”
So, let me get this straight. Emily got roofied. Then, she was picked up on the street by Jenna and Noel. Then, she went to some restaurant with that dude who sort of/ kind of/ but not really dated Aria for one episode, and then pretty much disappeared forever. Then, she went to Paige’s house, and made out with her a little bit. And THEN she went back to the cemetery, and watched the “A” team dig up a grave?
Ummm . . . am I missing something here?
Don’t get me wrong, I think the idea of Ali’s corpse being stolen, and Emily being framed for it, shows a lot of promise. I just wish the writers managed the mystery in a more streamlined way, rather than going for the, throw in everything but the kitchen sink approach . . .
Worst clues –
The Ugly Earring
The real mystery for me, is why ANYONE in their right mind would wear that hideous earring, and not, how it ended up being Rosewood’s answer to the Traveling Pants, winding up under couch cushions, in graves, inside of lockers, and in Paige’s purse, all in the course of a single season . . .
Those lame final sequences
Remember when PLL final sequences were AWESOME? Like the one that showed Lucas bashing the crap out of Ali’s memorial fountain . . . . or the one where “A” killed the Rat Named Spencer . . . or the one where “A” changed the Rosewood Population sign to imply that SOMEONE WOULD DIE TONIGHT!
Yeah . . . now, we’ve got “A” drinking booze, watching Wheel a Fortune, and listening to old songs on a jukebox. Can you say, LAZY?
Worst new characters
Nate – SEE ABOVE. 🙂
Maggie
Hey, I love Alex Mack as much as the next girl . . .
But I do not love the freaky, wide-eyed pixie version of her that Fitzy supposedly impregnated with his spawn. And now, from what I hear, this is Aria’s New Competition? Jackie 2.0? Been there, done that, read the Cliff Notes for it . . . let’s move on . . .
Most Frustrating Character Development – The Dumbing Down of Emily
Oh, Emily. Let’s face it, you were never the sharpest tool in the shed. And we know academics have never been your strong suit, considering you were ALMOST LEFT BACK A GRADE. But, in the course of a single season you, failed to mind your FLASK (NEVER LEAVE YOUR BOOZE UNATTENDED, GIRLFRIEND) . . . got roofied . . . lent your diseased flask to your girlfriend, WITHOUT WASHING IT, so that she could get roofied too (Now, that’s just unsanitary.), hung out with your dead other girlfriend’s OBVIOUS KILLER, believed that your dead girlfriend’s OBVIOUS KILLER was her cousin, despite the fact that he DIDN’T KNOW WHERE HER PARENTS LIVED, and SEEMED TO LOOOOOVE HER, IN A WAY COUSINS SHOULD NOT LOVE ONE ANOTHER, kissed your dead girlfriend’s OBVIOUS KILLER, despite the fact that he was a TOTALLY DISGUSTING CREEPER, and finally, went to a cabin alone with your dead girlfriend’s OBVIOUS KILLER, despite the fact that he was a TOTALLY DISGUSTING CREEPER.
Maybe you just mistook your thinking cap for your swim cap this season, huh, Emily?
And, finally . . .
THE TOBY
Ooh, talk about a shocking twist. Coming off a season, where the Big Reveal of who “A” Was shocked almost NOBODY, Season 3A’s final moments legitimately surprised EVERYONE! Who would have suspected that Spencer’s stalwart Rock . . . the man who supported her crazy, fell off a scaffold for her, played endless games of Scrabble with her, humped her many times in his truck, and took her virginity, would also be one of her biggest enemies?
And that look on his face, as he donned that hoodie, and ran off into the night . . . SUPER CREEPY.
Of course, the implications of this discovery are HUGE. WHY did Toby do it? How long has he been doing it? And, perhaps most importantly, did he ever really care about Spencer at all?
It’s interesting how, of all the PLL girls it was the one least likely to trust others, who let The Enemy literally get underneath her skin . . .
But I guess all is fair, in love and A . . . Until next season, my Pretties!