Pretty Little Liars started airing in June 2010 and ended in June 2017, and in that period of time, there have been countless teen dramas and mystery shows. But nothing has made the same lasting impression in fans’ minds as PLL. The story of a Queen Bee named Alison DiLaurentis (Sasha Pieterse) who disappears and leaves her best friends behind in wealthy Rosewood is just as fascinating today as it was when it premiered.
Based on the book series by Sara Shepard, the show explores friendship, romance, and popularity. But even though there are parts of the series that feel just as great today, there are other areas where it feels dated. Here are five reasons why Pretty Little Liars has aged poorly, along with five why it’s a classic.
Aged Poorly: The Surprises Fall Flat Over Time
There are many aspects of Pretty Little Liars that suggest that it’s the kind of show that has to be watched once and then it won’t seem as amazing. While fans love revisiting their favorite sitcoms since the familiar aspect is so comforting, some dramas don’t hold up in quite the same way.
Whether it’s Ezra Fitz (Ian Harding) revealing his “lair” or Ali returning in season five, the surprises only work the first time around. Once you’ve watched enough episodes to understand the backstory, the twists don’t feel as crazy and interesting.
Classic: It’s A Solid Mystery
It’s hard to think of a TV series aimed at young adults that has the kind of mystery that Pretty Little Liars has set up. The idea that your best friend (and someone who you had a very complicated relationship with) could just disappear is pretty scary, and the fact that the four girls are haunted by a figure named “A” who knows their secrets is even worse.
Pretty Little Liars will always be a classic because ultimately, it’s a solid mystery, and that will always keep fans coming back to watch old episodes. That will win the series new fans over time, too.
Aged Poorly: The End Of Each Episode Feels Repetitive
Since PLL is a mystery, it makes sense that the end of each episode would set up fans for the next one. But the endings often feature “A” playing with a doll or messing with the main characters’ lives in some way.
While at first, it’s cool to see this hooded figure, after a while these scenes can feel repetitive and dull. It’s frustrating to never see A’s face and this is another aspect of the show that has aged poorly.
Classic: The Story Of Growing Up Endures
Even though Pretty Little Liars follows Spencer Hastings (Troian Bellisario), Emily Fields (Shay Mitchell), Aria Montgomery (Lucy Hale), and Hanna Marin (Ashley Benson) and their secrets, the show is also about growing up.
This will always make the series relevant. Whether fans are older than the high school-aged characters and looking back on those times, or they’re going through that right now,
Aged Poorly: It’s Easy To Be Spoiled Or Even Guess The Twists
When PLL was on the air, fans were known for tweeting about the show and sharing all kinds of thoughts and opinions on social media, so much so that people said it was the “most tweeted about” series.
If you’re going to start the series now, you definitely run the risk of being spoiled because you literally can’t Google anything about it without reading about who A is, the characters who seemed like they were A at various points, and the way that the show ended. It’s the kind of show that really needs these twists to be shocking or it won’t have the same impact. It’s also pretty easy to guess the big twists once you see a few of them since they tend to follow the same pattern.
Classic: Rosewood Is A Cute, Charming Small Town
This environment is so perfect for the show since it’s a beautifully kept up place that has an adorable main street with fancy cafes and restaurants and shops. The setting of a TV show is so important. Thankfully, Pretty Little Liars has a perfect one: the small town of Rosewood.
The setting helps contribute to the overall perfectionism that some of the characters feel (like Spencer, who can’t stop striving for the best grades and accolades, even if it affects her health and well-being).
Aged Poorly: Ali Is An Unbalanced Character
The characters on Pretty Little Liars are fashionable and brave, but while the four liars are well-crafted and feel relatable, there’s one character who doesn’t hold up, and that’s Ali. It’s frustrating to think about the way that Ali has been developed (or not developed) over the course of the show’s seven seasons since she’s arguably the main character.
But at the beginning of the show, she’s a mean girl who manipulates anyone and everyone to get what she wants. When she returns to Rosewood, she’s like a shell of her former self, miserable and dull and feeling sorry for herself. She never seems like a very nice person, and it’s hard to see why the girls are friends with her.
Classic: Fans Always Love The Couples
Another reason why this teen show will always be a classic? Fans love the couples, and relationships are something that the show does really well. Hanna and Caleb Rivers (Tyler Blackburn) have an epic romance that gets pretty rocky at times, from Caleb leaving town to move to Ravenswood (which was also a spin-off of the same name) to their break-up that led him to date Spencer (yikes).
And nothing is more dramatic than Aria and Ezra’s relationship since they have to keep it hidden from everyone given the fact that he’s much older than her.
Aged Poorly: Fans Hate The Ending
It’s hard for a show to hold up well when fans aren’t big on the series finale, and that’s exactly what happened with PLL. After seven seasons of crazy moments, it felt strange to learn that Spencer had a twin, Alex Drake, and that everything hinged on an evil twin explanation.
It didn’t feel like the ending that the show deserved, even if the characters did find lasting love with the person that they were supposed to be with.
Classic: The Show Is Praised For The Cool Clothing
Whenever people talk about PLL, they say that the characters have an incredible sense of style. Emily is sporty, Aria is creative, Hanna follows the biggest trends, and Spencer is preppy.
The show will always feel like a classic thanks to the awesome fashion. No matter what crazy thing is happening in Rosewood, the liars are always well-dressed, and it’s always fun to see what they’re wearing.
