The Big Picture

Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin
is a successful companion to the original series.

Pretty Little Liars: Summer School
switches to a lighter, campy horror tone that gives the series a refreshing twist.
The slower pace of Season 2 allows for more room for the show to develop its characters and expand the storyline, as well as allowing for more filler moments.

Remaking or rebooting a popular movie or series can be a risky move. After all, there’s usually some sort of nostalgia attached to the original project, which automatically puts the new version in a harsher light. So, when it was announced that Pretty Little Liars would be getting a new series from the creator of Riverdale, Roberto Aguirre Sacasa, there was naturally some skepticism due to the original series’ major popularity during its run. But Pretty Little Liars: Original Sinproved to be an excellent companion to the original series, with enough differences to set them apart but similarities that still connect both shows in some form.

The premise is the same: an unknown person who goes by the name of “A” is stalking and harassing a group of teenage girls. But Original Sin adds a new twist into the mix by having the girls’ mothers be the inciting incident for the modern-day attacks. What results is a version of Pretty Little Liars that leans into much more horror and succeeds at being genuinely scary. Season 2, aptly subtitled Summer School, invites us to experience a new season in Millwood, and though things have seemingly calmed down with the arrival of warmer weather, Pretty Little Liars’ newest installment quickly reminds us that this nightmare is far from over.

Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin Twenty years ago, a series of tragic events almost ripped the blue-collar town of Millwood apart; now, in the present day, a group of disparate teen girls, a brand-new set of Little Liars, find themselves tormented by an unknown ‘A’ssailant.Release Date 2022-00-00 Creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, & Lindsay Calhoon Bring Main Genre Drama Seasons 2 Sequel Pretty Little Liars Network HBO Max Streaming Service(s) Max

What Is ‘Pretty Little Liars: Summer School’ About?
Following the events of Season 1, Imogen (Bailee Madison), Tabby (Chandler Kinney), Faran (Zaria), Mouse (Malia Pyles), and Noa (Maia Reficco) are more than ready to have a worry-free summer. They’ve been making plans to get summer jobs, attend fun parties, and just generally relax after the year they had. But those goals are quickly thwarted by their next big threat: summer school. If that’s the only bad thing to come from their summer, then it’s certainly a step up from the months prior. It’s not, of course, and a new threat begins to make itself known — threatening not only the group’s plans for a fabulous summer but also the lives of the girls themselves. To make matters worse, this new threat may also be related to “A.”

‘Pretty Little Liars’ Season 2 Switches Up the Series’ Tone
Image via Max

Season 1 of Pretty Little Liars, AKA Original Sin, was incredibly dark. The entirety of the Angela Waters (Gabriella Pizzolo) storyline is bleak and sad, and the way “A” goes about exacting revenge on her behalf is often downright terrifying. The original series may have had its own dark moments, but Original Sin leaned heavily into horror elements, complete with harrowing chase scenes and moments that led us to question whether every single character would make it out alive. Summer School, by comparison, opts for a lighter tone while still embracing the first season’s horror elements. While that was one of the best choices this new series made in the first place, Summer School goes one step further by shifting from a dark slasher to campier popcorn horror — and, best of all, it works!

Horror is an all-year-round genre, of course, but when it gets to the summer, some of the best horror flicks to watch are the ones that take place in the hotter months — the kind you’d sit down to watch midday for a little afternoon scare. In essence, that’s the vibe Summer School gives off. The change is a little jarring at first, resulting in slower pacing for the story, but when it picks up, it really picks up, and it may just be darker than Season 1.

‘Pretty Little Liars’ Season 2 Better Develops Its Characters

Season 1 of Pretty Little Liars dealt with some pretty heavy plot points, including Imogen and Tabby’s attacks, Imogen’s pregnancy, Noa’s mom’s substance abuse, and the overall trauma of the year. But Season 2 doesn’t shy away from digging into those issues and facing them head-on. The girls are all in group therapy, which is definitely for the best. Imogen in particular is getting extra help to work through the attacks from A, as well as the aftermath of her pregnancy and the grief she still has in the wake of her mother’s death. All of these struggles steadily creep up on her throughout the season, much like in Original Sin — only this time, there seems to be an actual reprieve for her. As a result, Madison is firing on all cylinders in Summer School. That’s not to say she wasn’t already phenomenal in Season 1, but as Imogen has grown into a more fleshed-out character, Madison has grown into the role and brought Imogen to life in new and dynamic ways, which is satisfying to see.

In fact, all the characters have grown into bigger personalities and come into themselves more. Original Sin had to rely on a lot of plot-heavy setup to establish its story, but we already know everyone by the time Summer School begins, giving the second season a lot more room to further expand on the characters. And what better time to do that than during summer break? Noa steps into a more responsible role with her mom in rehab and Faran becomes a stronger version of herself, both mentally and physically. Mouse is honing some serious investigative skills, and Tabby is a total girlboss. After everything the girls have gone through already, it’s gratifying to watch them thriving even if a threat still looms.

Aside from the Liars, everyone is going through some major changes, especially Kelly (Mallory Bechtel) — which isn’t all that surprising considering the traumatic stuff that happened to her in Season 1, including the death of her twin sister Karen and the discovery of her father’s involvement in Angela Waters’ death before his later demise. Season 2’s Kelly feels like an entirely new character, and the series seems to be slowly setting her up to play a major role in the overarching mystery — a change that would be thoroughly welcomed.

‘Pretty Little Liars: Summer School’ Is a Superb Follow-Up

As previously mentioned, Summer School moves at a slower pace than Original Sin, which can be frustrating at times but ultimately works in the show’s favor. Season 2’s approach to its main mystery allows more opportunity for both the show and its characters to breathe. The series also has more chances to flesh out potential love interests and make them people worth caring about, rather than the bland and forgettable side characters that were often present in Season 1. Some of the girls have new romances this season, and these additions actually have depth! It’s a welcome change, and nice to see these girls experiencing some real happiness — even if it may be short-lived.

Summer School’s storyline is also much roomier, but not in a bad way. There’s more of Millwood on display this season without the show being so confined to the school, the theater, or Tabby’s house — and the setting expands to places like the roller rink, the local church, the town pool, and the ice cream shop, just to name a few. Summer truly brings Millwood to life, giving Season 2 a renewed sense of vibrancy that makes for an entertaining ride from start to finish. Some moments might evoke an eyebrow raise or two, such as the addition of Spooky Spaghetti — the Summer School rendition of Creepy Pasta. Season 2 is a polished, well-thought-out sequel to Original Sin that proves its titular Liars are not to be messed with.

Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin Season 2 of Pretty Little Liars, Summer School, opts for a lighter tone but proves that the nightmare that is “A” is far from over.ProsPretty Little Liars: Summer School switches genres from a dark slasher to campier popcorn horror, and it works.The second season has more time to better develop its characters rather than focusing on plot-heavy setup.Summer School also expands the setting of Milton in ways that make the show feel renewed. ConsThe pace of Season 2 is distinctly slower than Season 1, which might be frustrating for the viewer at times.

Pretty Little Liars: Summer School will air on Max with a two-episode premiere on May 9.

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