Those who watched Pretty Little Liars on Freeform and weren’t impressed should still check out its spin-off — Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin (called Pretty Little Liars: Summer School for its second season). I. Marlene King developed the original television show, which was based on Sara Shepard’s book series of the same name and premiered in June 2010 and lasted for seven seasons before it came to an end in June 2017. Although Freeform’s Pretty Little Liars received mixed reviews from critics, the show managed to assemble a large and passionate fanbase, resulting in its success on the network.
Despite its achievements, some believed that Pretty Little Liars started going downhill as the show went on. The mystery teen drama was not for everyone, as it could be quite silly, befuddling, and frustrating at times. Plus, Pretty Little Liars leaned heavily into the teen drama genre, which turned many away from watching it. Nevertheless, the successful Freeform series has turned into a franchise that includes a Pretty Little Liars spin-off that deviates from its predecessor’s tone.
Pretty Little Liars and Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, which premiered in July 2022, exist in the same universe (proven by appearances of former cast members of the original series in the spin-off and mentions of significant characters like Aria and Ezra), but the two shows differ greatly regarding their tone and approach to the “A” story. Whereas the first show is more focused on its teen drama stories and convoluted mysteries, the spin-off is inspired by horror and slasher films, and it succeeds in paying homage to them.
Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin adapts the basic aspects of Pretty Little Liars‘ story and grounds them in a horror setting. The Max series takes the character of “A” and greatly amplifies their scare factor. The “A” that terrorizes the Little Liars in season 1 is terrifying with his mask, large figure, and how he ruthlessly kills anyone he feels has sinned. Season 2 introduces a new villain to antagonize the main characters, and “Bloody Rose” is just as scary as her predecessor. Ultimately, “Bloody Rose” proves the spin-off has a villain advantage over Pretty Little Liars.
The good news is that all seven seasons and 160 episodes of Pretty Little Liars are not required to be watched before diving into Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin (and then Summer School‘s episodes) on Max. The two shows are set in the same universe and feature a couple of connections, but one does not have to watch the original series to understand what is happening in the spin-off. Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin and Pretty Little Liars: Summer School can be enjoyed by all, even those who didn’t like or watch Pretty Little Liars on Freeform.
Max’s slasher teen drama centers around five girls — Imogen, Tabby, Faran, Mouse, and Noa — who come together when “A” starts terrorizing them in season 1. However, it’s not until later in the season that they (and the audience) learn why “A” is targeting them. Following their traumatic experience with the villain, the Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin characters become bonded for life. But their statuses as “final girls” are tested again in Pretty Little Liars: Summer School when a new scary figure begins stalking them. Since none of the aforementioned plots pertain to the original series, anyone can watch it.
Someone may not enjoy Pretty Little Liars or its spin-off, but the newer series should be given a shot, especially for those who enjoy campy horror and slasher films. Even though the Max show is only in its second season, Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin alone surpasses its predecessor with its intriguing mystery (that only runs for one season), superior villains, and diverse group of characters. The show’s storyline rarely gets convoluted (unlike some of the plots in Pretty Little Liars) and will have most viewers’ eyes glued to the screen (or hiding behind their hands during the scary scenes).