By KARINA FLORES
‘A’ IS BACK. Lies and secrets stir up drama for the “Liars” in the winter season premiere of Pretty Little Liars. The next episode will air Jan. 15 at 8 p.m.
Lies, secrets and the ever-present ‘A’ stir the town of Rosewood, with the winter premiere of ABC Family’s Pretty Little Liars on Jan. 8.
Based on the best-selling book series by Sara Sheperd, the popular teen mystery-thriller returned with “She’s Better Now.” The major shocker: Mona (Janel Parrish) is reintroduced after a months long visit to the local psychiatric hospital. Her attempts to make amends with the “Liars” she tortured fell short as she remained to act unstable and suspicious.
The previous Halloween special dropped shocking bombs: Garrett (Yani Gellman) is dead, Alison’s (Sasha Pieterse) is found and Toby (Keegan Allen) is revealed as one of the notorious black-hooded-jacket wearing members of the ‘A’ Team. Unfortunately, other than Toby’s obvious menacing glares, any hints of him being involved in any ‘A’ schemes were not visible. The show lacked its usual on edge suspense, but nonetheless no one is safe in Rosewood.
As if the return of the believed ‘A’ was not enough to stir up trouble at Rosewood High, Aria’s (Lucy Hale) father’s former mistress Meredith (Amanda Schull) acts as the girls’ new government teacher, adding tension with a nasty confrontation after class. The extent of Meredith’s involvement with her father is unclear leaving Aria bitter towards her dad whose secrets are beginning to unravel.
Another addition to Rosewood High, is the strange janitor, who happens to be the same man at the front desk of the inn Alison stayed at and where the girl’s found the ‘A”s lair. In Rosewood, nothing is a coincidence causing the girls to grow suspicious and investigate. It is obvious he is involved with the ‘A’ Team when Spencer (Troian Bellisario) and Emily (Shay Mitchell), Hanna (Ashley Benson) and Aria find Alison’s diary in his office.
And as always, no one is safe at a Rosewood town event. The girls’ are usually wearing gowns or costumes when ‘A’ strikes, but at the Rosewood 10K Run they sported a t-shirt and sneakers. Meredith fell into a trap, apparently set by Mona, resulting in injury. This can be perceived as a desperate, radical attempt to gain the trust of the girls.
Next week, one should expect a deeper look into the secrets revolved around Aria’s father and Alison and hopefully new revelations on Toby’s involvement. Catch the next episode on ABC Family on Jan. 15, at 8 p.m.
The 411
Show Title: Pretty Little Liars
Release date: 1/08/2013
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars