Dead Ends

Love is blossoming in Rosewood but not everyone is happy about this. We discuss Spaleb actually getting together and whether Hanna and Toby are actually over their exes. We also cover Aria's new found feralness, Lucas being a tech CEO, Byron's shady dealings, Fitz's no good very bad time, Emily's long spiral and continue to puzzle over just what Mona's politics are. Episod...

We jump ahead five years and find things are very different in Rosewood. We discuss the ramifications of Spaleb, the hot new hotel in town, Aria's need for secret relationships, Fitz's very concerning visit to Columbia, Ali's turn to a conservative housewife and try to decipher what political party Mona is lobbying for. Episode 83 content warnings: transphobia, homophobia, abuse, dr...

That sure was a rough finale! We discuss the frankly baffling episode that has poorly executed and problematic reveals, the transphobic narratives the show plays into, the huge plot holes that result from all the answers and the strange decisions made for the structure and set design for the episode. But first, we discuss episode 9 where the moms have a horrible night, there's another maze at...

The moment Emily's been waiting for: Toby gets too high. We excitedly talk about the wild scene of the Charles confrontation and try to ascertain how many gummies he ate. We also cover Sara and Emily's relationship, the suspicious Carissimi Group, Ali and Mona teaming up, how Ali's plans have really fallen off, and the art gallery fiasco with lots and lots of tangents in between. Ep...

A bit of a down week as the show slowly starts to gear up for the big Charles reveal. We discuss the show pretending Leslie is important, Sara and Emily hooking up, Clark trying to woo Aria and failing, Dean returning and taking a creepy turn, Spencer's short addiction arc and Mona stepping into her Jenna era. Episode 80 content warnings: gaslighting, torture, kidnapping, abuse Pretty Little...

Note: Lots of Riverdale spoilers in this episode (from 07:11-10:13) We’re very happy to be back in more ridiculous territory as we learn just how harrowing Jason’s life has been. We also discuss Toby getting territorial over his new boyfriend, what swimming represents in PLL, the girls different arcs dealing with trauma and Caleb’s dad arc. We also go on many tangents about CW shows and the 2005 h...

About halfway through the episode, Brenton spoils the A reveal for himself on a random wikipedia entry. Watch him cause himself immense psychic damage in real time. For those watching along, we cover up any potential spoilers so you don't end up like Brenton. Before then we discuss the escalation of A, the girls escaping, Toby's new boyfriend and the half baked plan of Caleb and Fitz. Af...

Massive tone shift on this episode as the show takes a dark turn into gritty serial killer territory. We discuss our reactions to the episode, our worries for the change in tone and mystery setup, Mona being built different, bot’s clubhouse investigations & new theories on A’s identity. Episode 77 content warnings: torture, kidnapping, serial killers, true crime, abuse, policing, death Pretty...

Alison’s on trial! We watched two fantastic episodes and are excited to dig into Ali’s poor legal defense, the town finding out about Ashley and Jason, the Liar’s making extremely bad decisions, how much a little boy Mike is and guesses on what happens next. Episode 76 content warnings: blood, grooming, abuse, gaslighting, policing, death Pretty Little Liars season theme song "Secret of Tiki...

Things may be breaking extremely bad for the liars, but at least Spencer had a nice getaway in London. We discuss the Hasting’s continued lies, A menacing abroad, Spencer's flirtations, continuing to ask what is up with Talia, the end of Spoby and Ezria? Hanna getting locked up & trying to parse through which of Ali’s lies are public knowledge. Episode 75 content warnings: blood, grooming...

We get big time reveals this week! We cheer for the intricate plan laid out here and the rare plot focus on Mike. We also try to parse what exactly is going on with Talia, Toby's continued policing, church gossip and the show pulling Andrew off the bench. Episode 74 content warnings: self harm, blood, grooming, abuse, gaslighting, policing, death Pretty Little Liars season theme song "Se...

We ring in 2024 discussing Fitz’s self reflection and relationship wheel spinning, Caleb being upgraded to regular spy partner, Toby’s continued character assassination, the new characters in Rosewood & Mikes sour candy drop. Brenton also finally finished Unbelievable (PLL book 4) and runs through his thoughts. Episode 73 content warnings: grooming, abuse, gaslighting, policing, infidelity, de...

Lots of setup this week but everybody is wondering what's in the barrel?? We discuss Toby being an annoying cop, Spencer and Caleb's team up (and one of us gets scared this might make a ship), new characters Talia and Johnny and the Ashley's ridiculous affair. Episode 72 content warnings: grooming, murder, body horror, death, gaslighting, policing Pretty Little Liars season theme so...

It's holiday special time and much to Brenton's dismay, it's not a complete retelling of a Christmas Carol focusing on Ali and Mona (although the bits we do get are great). We discuss the lesser of the holiday specials, Mona's amazing ghost form, the focus on fan service and Ali getting arrested. Episode 71 content warnings: murder, death, gaslighting, bullying, grooming Pretty...

So uh, what just happened? We got a really really big reveal? And then a gutting twist? We’re overflowing with riches here and we are incredibly excited to dig in. And boy is there a lot to get into. Episode 70 content warnings: murder, death, gaslighting, bullying, mental health Pretty Little Liars season theme song "Secret of Tiki Island by Kevin MacLeod. Brenton Theory corner version 2 son...

We make an absolutely startling discovery at the top of this episode. We also discuss some other less important details like Ali's secret plans and shifty behavior, Caleb's trust in Hanna, the horrible men in Aria's life and the great potential if the show actually had Mona and Hanna team up. Episode 69 content warnings: grooming, sexual assault, gaslighting, bullying, mental health...

We're very excited to be back watching PLL again. We shake off the rust and remind ourselves of the wild happenings in season 5, Haleb's dark turn, timeline shenanigans, not believing Hanna(!), Alison's sneaky moves, terribly thought our plans and spying on Melissa. Episode 68 content warnings: grooming, sexual assault, gaslighting, racism, bullying, mental health Pretty Little Liar...

This episode covers chapters 20-the end. We actually get some real exciting stuff here! We discuss our love of book Lucas, Spencer's forgetful bad time, Emily' immense character growth and Aria's teacher boyfriend getting arrested. First though we go over the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike, their proposed deal and our return to PLL the show.  Watch PLL season 5 episodes 7 & 8 for n...

This episode covers chapters 1-19. We're finally starting to get some character progression, but the glacial pace is starting to wear on us. We discuss why half of the characters could be removed from the book, Emily's horrible horrible time, Spencer's time in therapy, and our enjoyment of Aria's adventures. Next reading: Chapter 20-the end of the book. Episode 66 content warni...

This episode covers chapters 18-the end of the book. We reached the end of Pretty Little Liars book 2 and we’re still waiting for the plot to get going. We discuss the slow pacing, incomplete characters arcs, the ranking of the terrible parents, Melissa's all time girlbossing, Emily's mental illness and the uncomfortable reveals about Toby's past. For future episodes, let us know wh...

This episode covers chapters 1-18 We start the second Pretty Little Liars book with an extra ADHD episode. Our scattered brains cover the girls annoying separation and stand-alone stories, the varied horribleness of their parents, Michelangelo’s no good very bad time, and Arias changing philosophical leanings. We also give a quick strike update to congratulate the WGA and wish SAG-AFTRA best of lu...

This episode covers chapters 17-end of the book. We've finished the first book and find ourselves surprised by how interesting Emily is compared to the adaptation. We discuss each of the characters arcs and how some of them are underserved. We run through the open ending and minimal plot of the first book and our expectations for the next one. Next reading: Chapters 1-18. Episode 63 content w...

This episode covers chapters 6-16. We continue on our adventures in high school and finding that there's not a whole lot of plot happening. Nevertheless there's still plenty to talk about as we discuss high school cultural cache, Aria's big presentation, the fatphobia surrounding Hanna and the gross men in Spencer's life. Next reading: Chapters 17-the end.  Episode 62 content w...

We're back covering the first five chapters of the PLL book! Enjoy an extended segment of us comparing book versions and all the weird references they edited out. Then we dive into all the changes that were made in the TV adaption and all the things we're liking so far in the book. Next reading: Chapters 6-16 Episode 61 content warnings: grooming, disordered eating, fatphobia, homophobia...

In solidarity with the SAG-AFTRA strike, we're going to pause our coverage of PLL the tv show and instead switch to covering the book series. Coverage for that will begin in a couple weeks and we'll share more details on chapters discussed ahead of that initial episode. For the time being, enjoy us talking about the changes and ramble a bit about the books. Pretty Little Liars season the...