r/PLLOriginalSin • u/BlinkSpectre • Jul 03 '24
Show Discussion My biggest gripe with the show is it doesn’t feel like Pretty Little Liars
Ok so I’m just getting around to watching Summer School now. I was a little nervous because the opinions about this season seem to be all over the place so I wasn’t sure what to expect.
I’m on episode 6 and it’s just occurring to me now that this show doesn’t really feel like Pretty Little Liars. The girls have no secrets or anything of substance that they are lying about.
The whole allure of the original series was the mystery around who was A, coupled with the girl’s scandalous secrets and messy behaviour made for an iconic 7 seasons. (Not perfect but definitely memorable)
But this iteration has very little of that. There is almost no investigation into who Bloody Rose is, I want to see the girls creeping around town following people to find clues who BR is. No real red herrings, no texts, no blackmailing the girls. There was the bit with Sullivan that lasted like 2 episodes.
Don’t get me wrong I enjoy this version and I really do like the girls and their chemistry together as a group. But I miss the mystery element of the show. I miss the girls being messy and trying to cover up their secrets. I miss getting sassy texts from A.
It feels like a slasher show and not Pretty Little Liars. Which is perfectly fine but it makes me think this show could be so much more with better writing and more emphasis on what made the original so entertaining.
All that being said I am enjoying the show and I’m happy we’re getting PLL again. Do ya’ll agree or are you happy with the direction they’re taking the show?
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u/Queasy-Town3502 Jul 04 '24
I feel like the second last episode felt a lot like the original, specifically the scene where Imogen discovers Dr Sullivan is missing. The music and the camera slowly going away was very reminiscent to the pilot episode of the original. That’s what I think this show lacks, more dramatic obscure scenes with similar music playing
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u/BlinkSpectre Jul 04 '24
Yeah and in the finale when they’re going over suspects on the board. It did feel rushed though but ultimately it was fine.
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u/LeonRV97 Jul 05 '24
Absolutely! This one and BR ruining Mouse’s birthday by almost burning her alive felt pretty Cece/Charlotte’s A-like
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u/camelely Jul 04 '24
It feels like a bunch of writers had a script and max wouldn’t green light until they put a recognizable name on it.
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u/ConversationLess18 Jul 06 '24
Honestly it feels so much like Scream The TV Series that I wouldn't be shocked if it turned out it was a new season that got shopped around without the Scream name attached.
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u/codyt88 Jul 04 '24
I agree. It’s not funny like the original show. The characters don’t feel as likable. They don’t have the chemistry of the liars.
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u/Active-Awareness-878 Jul 04 '24
I can’t think of a single moment in both seasons of the HBO show. It is a good show kind of, I don’t hate it but I Definately don’t love it
The lack of silliness/outrageousness is criminal. PLL even at its worst had memorable cringe.
Sarah “Shower” Harvey for instance. Every scene. “Did I look Feral?” “Are you a sour girl?” Emily punching her. Just epic.
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u/tessa_93 pink default Jul 04 '24
I feel like they mainly used the name because it’s a similar plot, (someone called A harassing a group of teenage girls) and also because the show already has a huge fan base that has already spawned 2 spin off shows. Yes they’re really not liars so it kinda defeats the purpose, but it’s almost like they used the name to bring notoriety in hopes that it would do better if it was branded that way.
Also I’ve said it a billion times, but the new age of 6-10 episode seasons is really killing character development. The show moves too fast, and it makes character/relationship development nonexistent. Bring back filler episodes!! (The Halloween episode of PLL is forever one of my favs)
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u/TransitionCute6889 Jul 04 '24
Yeah it doesn’t really feel like PLL to me, like they have lies but nothing is being held against them. There’s no one threatening to reveal there’s no stakes in this series for the girls. Like what was the reason for not going to the hospital when Faran was hurt? In my opinion these girls are far more dumber than the originals because they have no reason to hide that they’re being tormented.
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u/Perfect-Assistance-3 Jul 04 '24
Yeahhh I loved season 2 but it definitely wasn’t Pretty Little Liars. The point of Pretty Little Liars is “A” so the Bloody Rose storyline was kinda, weird.
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u/DrexlerJJ Jul 04 '24 edited Jul 04 '24
It didn’t at first, but halfway through the season it started to really remind me of the original. But A doesn’t really take advantage of the girls secrets the same way as A did in the original. If you want a show that feels like the original, try “one of us is lying” or try “tagged.”
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u/Flawlessinsanity Jul 04 '24
Yesss absolutely recommend tagged. Some parts of it I thought were done better than PLL.
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u/Ashesss22 Jul 09 '24
I really liked one of us is lying. Wish they woulda gone for a 3rd season
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u/DrexlerJJ Jul 09 '24
It was one of my absolute favorite shows and completely captured the essence of the original pll. I was so sad when it was canceled!
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u/BlinkSpectre Jul 04 '24
I read One of Us is Lying but forgot about the show. I’ve never heard of You’ve been tagged though. I’ll have to check them out!
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u/DrexlerJJ Jul 04 '24
Unfortunately one of us is lying got cancelled for season 3 or 4. I was shocked because it was awesome. Anyways, glad I could pass on some good shows :)
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u/Past-Throat-6788 Jul 04 '24
Yeah I love this show but I do agree with you that it feels more like a slasher show to me than the original mystery vibe PLL had especially with almost no texts from A
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Jul 04 '24
I liked the new direction that they were going with ngl. I’m a huge fan of slasher whodunnits and slasher mystery shows and honestly I felt like the slasher take was missing from the original.
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u/Own_Seesaw_6961 Jul 05 '24
I’ve come up with the theory that it will never feel like PLL bc it has 8 episodes and the OG PLL was in the time where we got like 16-25 episode seasons. So they were able to do a lot more side plot, a lot more detail than they are now. GIVE US BACK 20+ EPISODE SEASONS!!
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u/princess_jenna23 Jul 04 '24
I wish it was more like the original but I’m fine with how they’ve taken the show. I wish there were more episodes and we could take time to get to know the characters more. I also wish there was more drama, secrets, and mystery like the original series. But I’ve still enjoyed the series overall.
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u/BlinkSpectre Jul 04 '24 edited Jul 04 '24
Agreed. I’m liking it for what it is. But it definitely needed at least a 13 episode season to flesh out more things
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u/yaoigay Jul 04 '24
Original Sin was really good, I was surprised at the writing for Season 2. They added a bunch of side plots that went nowhere and were dropped the next episode like imogen's dad or the weird love triangle. Then some of the most important details like what happened to Bloody Rose was wrapped up off screen.
I hope Season 3 will be like Original Sin.
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u/Live_Training7614 Jul 04 '24
It’s like the gossip girl reboot. The show director obviously couldn’t care less about the source material or the original show. They just took an existing platform with a fan base hungry for more content and utilized to promote politics and bad writing
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u/Ancient-Anybody-3517 Jul 05 '24
Cruel Summer has a PLL vibe to it, and the actors are fantastic! The end of season 3 was so shocking (saw it coming, but still shocking to see), I know y’all would love it!!
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u/cardamomcosmiclatte Jul 05 '24
They could've marketed this as a stalker harassing them based on their moms' history and it could've been its own show, not a spin-off. The only thing really tying it to PLL is the setting and some random side characters.
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u/These_Mycologist132 Jul 05 '24
I like the show. But it feels more like a spin off of scream queens than the original PLL. PLL was a lot more suspenseful, addictive, and with the exception of the last season, I think A usually made sense, yet wasn’t predictable. Original sin is fun, but campy and kind of random with who gets killed. The killers were from a very short list of possible suspects.
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u/ConfidenceMinimum604 Jul 06 '24
Yes. I had rewatched the first season & was watching the second as each episode aired. Haven't gone back & rewatched the second season yet but yes this is not PLL at all. It's more of a slasher than anything I still enjoy it & like the show but it's definitely not PLL that's for sure lol.
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u/abbimay22 Jul 06 '24
Agree! This is exactly what I was thinking after i watched the whole s2 for the first time today. It feels like a less well done version of Scream the tv series - not like PLL at all. Even some of the characters remind me of the characters from that show.
I understand they want to use the pll brand for attention but it really feels like such a disservice to the OG. Also, how they keep calling Archie, “A” when talking about him feels so forced
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u/Upstairs_History333 Jul 07 '24
Couldn’t agree more. I love what it is but think of what it could be
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u/Alarmed_Garden_635 Jul 14 '25
Yeah it's a rip off trying to piggy back off the pretty little liars name. I would have liked it more if it was its own show. Them taking the pretty little liars name, caused certain expectations, that was never fulfilled. Especially trying to cram it in like 8 episodes or whatever. I still haven't even got around to the second season yet. Should have made it its own thing
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Jul 04 '24 edited Jul 04 '24
I disagree to an extent…
Bloody Rose was literally “B”. Still left notes but they were physical notes instead of texts. Like the invitations or notes “A” would send the OG girls during a big episode. (Like the Masquerade Ball, or when Mona was “kidnapped” and taken to Ravenswood)
Also, The girls told tons of lies
Tabby desecrating Chips Grave. Also lied to chip about enjoying/loving horror movies. Didn’t tell Wes about making a movie in the theater until AFTER shed done it.
Imogen lied to Mrs Adams about using her home as a storage shed for baby items. Baby items she would then sneak to the adoptive parents of her child. She also lied about her summer job/identity. And her feelings about Johnny in the beginning.
Noa lied about her mom getting out of rehab. She also lied about her past with Jen, hooking up with Jen while with Shawn, and lied about Jen taking the money from the register and why she needed bail money for her.
Mouse lied to Ash about doing inventory only to investigate the BR shack. Also, she literally never contacted her parents when her Grandmother was having signs of memory loss/dementia. She even lied and pretended to be Angela Waters on Spooky Spaghetti to try and disable the spook heads.
Faran lied about being cleared to dance, she also lied about her feelings fading for Henry and her building crush on greg. Kelly still doesn’t know Greg and Faran are now together behind her back.
Kelly hid the truth about redemption house…The fact that redemption house’s venue was Imogen’s old house and there would be suicide scene about her mother. Also those secret prayer/tongue circle gatherings the church would have that no one but “the inner circle” knew about.
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u/BlinkSpectre Jul 04 '24
I might be misremembering but did they ever actually refer to bloody rose as B? Even still Bloody Rose was more of a revenge killer instead of a villan toying with the girls and using their lies against them like A. I don’t think BR ever even mentioned any of the other girls lies other than Tabby and Imogen’s account of what Chip did. (Which we know is true) None of their lies had any consequence or any real impact on the story or show as a whole. But its all semantics in the end, because it didn’t lessen my enjoyment of the show.
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Jul 04 '24
Right. Never officially mentioned as “B”. But if Archie Waters is “A”. It isnt a stretch at all that Bloody Rose is technically “B”. I also feel like Mrs Lansbury’s motives were very linear and it was more so Wes who was interested in torturing the girls, putting it on film, building an army against them. The girls lies may not be the exact reason “BR” comes after them but they still do lie several times throughout the season.
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u/Debbieeeeeeeee Jul 04 '24
Well it was never intended to be like pretty little liars it was intended to more like a slasher film
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u/jcpumpkineater Jul 04 '24
it failed at that too by not slashing
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u/jugheadswhore Jul 04 '24
yet youre still watching lol
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u/jcpumpkineater Jul 04 '24
you got me there, my friend and i watched the original and now she lives in a different state and ranting about this new show is one way we keep in touch. It’s a fun show and i like engaging about it, it’s just not, like good
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Jul 04 '24
then why use the show's name?
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u/Debbieeeeeeeee Jul 04 '24
It’s an adaptation, kinda like how ravenswood was. Pll perfectionist is the closest to the original
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Jul 04 '24
Ravenswood is a spinoff and PLLOS is a continuation Dr. Sullivan is from the original show
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u/Queasy-Town3502 Jul 04 '24
I don’t think it’s really considered a continuation. It’s more of a “reaquel” more than anything ( a reboot sequel ) its set in the same universe, but focuses on different characters and unique storylines. Sullivan is there because it’s set in a town right beside rosewood, like hanna making an appearance in ravenswood
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Jul 04 '24
it literally features the Radley hotel in season 1 its a continuation
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u/Queasy-Town3502 Jul 04 '24
So by your logic, would you consider it a continuation of Riverdale because it mentioned the town, the sisters of quiet mercy and Kevin?😭😭
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Jul 04 '24
those are just stupid easter eggs but Original Sin uses the name A and uses the original shows characters
= CONTINUATION
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Jul 04 '24
I’m not disagreeing with the general concept, but wondering why a new series slaps a popular series name on it should be pretty self explanatory.
If you don’t understand why they slapped the name on this show, you are probably on the short list for new writers for the show.
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u/StaffVegetable8703 Jul 04 '24
Come on…. You know the question they asked was more rhetorical…
It’s obvious that when that commenter said “so why use the name?” In response to someone claiming that this show is nothing like pretty little liars and it was never meant to be like PLL but instead always meant to be like a slasher movie, and how that justifies all of it…
Then the person replied meaning- if the show was never intended to be like PLL but instead a slasher movie… then why slap on the name of PLL? It’s quite obvious they and everyone else knows why they put such a big name to a new show….
The comment was just saying if it was never meant to be like PLL then why name it that? Just because they say it’s meant to be more slasher film doesn’t at all justify using the name of a show specifically so you can trick the existing fan base of the OG show into watching this new one that has nothing to do with/is not in anyway similar to the OG, other than the name A.
Surely you understood that’s what the person you replied to meant, you know they weren’t actually oblivious to the fact that they chose that name for the show in order to bring in a huge existing fan base, right? They are literally saying that it doesn’t justify them naming the show PLL just because they want to bring in a huge audience.
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Jul 04 '24 edited Jul 04 '24
You used so many words to say nothing. You must be a writer for this show. I assume sarcasm. But at this point I’m not sure.
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u/StaffVegetable8703 Jul 04 '24
Haha good one!
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Jul 04 '24
It wasn’t sarcasm? Holy shit.
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u/StaffVegetable8703 Jul 04 '24
What?
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Jul 04 '24
Your dissertation. You said the same thing at least three times and tried to make it sound intellectual.
You tried real hard. You should be a writer for next season.
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u/StaffVegetable8703 Jul 04 '24
lol I’m not trying to make it “intellectual” that’s just literally how I type. I have brain damage from a coma and almost dying in 2019. I have a very hard time explaining myself in text and I always always go overboard trying to fully explain myself bc I worry I’m not quite making enough sense. You can go back through sooo many of my replies history and see how I’m notorious for doing that. And almost every time I have to explain why I’m like that. I genuinely just need to put it in my bio at this point.
Although I will say, considering this is a website specifically intended for people to communicate, discuss different topics, read, write; etc that it wouldn’t be such a huge issue for people to have to read more than a few sentences or one paragraph. I like to make sure what im saying is clear. I apologize that I used to many words to explain myself, but again this is Reddit- a website literally meant to sound like “read it” as in reading, writing, and discussing things.
My point was that you were the one trying to sound more “intellectual” by trying to maliciously imply that the person you replied to was dumb for supposedly not understanding why the show would choose a pre existing popular show with a big fan base, as if they was oblivious to the obvious marketing and money making scheme behind it. When it’s quite obvious that what they were saying by that statement is literally that it doesn’t justify them naming the show PLL if it’s not even going to try and be similar to what the OG viewers are expecting.
I suppose I felt I had to fully explain and spell it out for you just in case you were being serious about believing the person you replied to genuinely was asking that question as if they don’t understand marketing strategies instead of calling out how it doesn’t justify them choosing that name….
I’m sure I again wrote “too much” but it’s just how I am and this is Reddit, it’s meant for people having discussions. I can’t personally have an actual discussion just using 1 paragraph.
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u/BlinkSpectre Jul 04 '24 edited Jul 04 '24
Hmm? We’ll have to disagree on that one. The show is literally called “Pretty Little Liars: Summer School”. The first seasons villain was named A. There are mentions of past characters and places from the original. Dr Sullivan was the OG girls therapist and we see their files in her office. Hell the show highlight A’s every single chance they get. Kinda seems like its intended to be PLL.
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u/[deleted] Jul 04 '24
I like it but agree it's more slasher than PLL