Summer school begins early this year.
No, you won’t be challenged with tests or catching and marking grasshoppers, but you will feel forced to sit through class nonetheless when the next generation of Pretty Little Liars returns with their own type of Summer School.
This season discusses the classic movie trope with which Pretty Little Liars has become synonymous — the final girl.
TV Fanatic had the opportunity to get in front of the cast and creators for a little Q&A, and they did the best they could to entertain and tease without spoiling too much — just as we like it.
We first spoke to the group that not only has answers but who makes the decisions. Creators Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Lindsay Calhoon Bring were joined by PLL mom Sharon Leal.
Roberto told us how he believes Rose Waters stacks up against her son, who was terrorizing the girls during Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin.
Sharon is one of the last mothers standing, and she talks about how Sidney is handling things in the aftermath and guiding the survivors.
Lindsay teases what it means to bring Pretty Little Liars original Dr. Sullivan into the mix. It makes a lot of sense after the horror they suffered.
When we think about Final Girls, it usually comes down to the fact that one girl will be left standing while everyone around her dies. That’s not the case here, though, and Roberto breaks it down for us.
With everything that happened during the first season, it seems unthinkable that they could be forced to go to summer school in the wake of it. But Roberto and Lindsay make it make sense.
Check out the full interview for answers below.
Our next interview brought together Mouse, Noa, and Ash portrayers Malia Pyles, Maia Reficco, and Jordan Gonzalez for a lively conversation about the upcoming season.
Malia talks about how the creepypasta site Spooky Spaghetti plays into the season, and Maia revealed what it’s like to act in some of the creepier scenes, which is a tough ride for her as she doesn’t like horror!
Jordan weighs in on how Mouse and Ash are faring after so much trauma. Will they be on steady ground or rockier footing? Jordan has answers.
Nobody missed the fact that Noa is seen locking lips with an unknown blonde. What does that mean for Maia and Shawn? Maia tries to talk around the issue to give a non-answer because some things are better left to unfold on screen.
The trailer finds Dr. Sullivan asking, “Say your worst fears were realized, what’s the worst that could happen?” We did a round to see what might be the worst thing for each character without spilling whether it actually happened to them. Hint: Jordan says it does for Ash!
Check out the full interview below.
Zaria and Mallory Bechtel were the next duo on camera, and their stories intertwine during the second season.
Faran is struggling when the series returns and Zaria breaks that down for us a bit.
Kelly is still pursuing a normal life while continually getting pulled into strange places by her family and her association with the liars, and Mallory gives us insight into her plight.
Zaria teases how the new threat this season puts the liars through their paces, challenging them to put fears aside to survive.
Mallory follows that with some more clues about the Out Mother of Holy Grace Church storyline, which veers in some pretty interesting directions!
Then, we asked them both to consider the same question we had asked the others. If their worst fears are realized, what’s the worst that could happen Keep watching to discover their answers!
Finally, we jumped into a conversation with last year’s final girl, Bailee Madison, and Dr. Sullivan herself, Annabeth Gish.
Bailee tells us how Imogen is dealing with being a mother herself after losing her own. Bailee expresses her answer by sharing a bit about herself and her thoughts on motherhood before revealing how Imogen is affected.
Annabeth shares what it’s like to return to the franchise and begin caring for a new group of liars, whom she calls equally as challenging and feisty.
But do we really trust Dr. Sullivan? There is always the chance that she’s not the same woman we met years ago. Getting an answer when asked wasn’t on the table, but it may have leaked out naturally by the end of the chat.
Imogen has lost everything, so we asked Bailee what Imogen is doing to cope with all of it, and Bailee gives a very good picture of what to expect from Imogen this season.
We also had to ask what’s the worst that could happen, and Bailee notes not only the inevitable but also things that could be even worse than that. Lastly, Annabeth teases how Dr. Sullivan can help the liars and provocatively drops why she may be so interested in the liars once again!
And there you have it.
Pretty Little Liars: Summer School Episode 1 drops at 3 am ET on May 9, and we’ll have a full review of the premiere for you tomorrow at 10/9c.
We sure hope you’ll come along on another terrorizing ride with us as we break it all down!
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Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She’s a member of the Critic’s Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.
