Dead Ends

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...

PLL reaches episode 100 and we find it kind of strange that the story centers on Alison. We discuss the drawbacks of having a new 5th perspective, her going back to school and the lack of interesting storylines with defanged Ali. We also run through Caleb’s big return, the murky situation with new A, the beginnings of Emison and the Hastings shady secrets. Episode 59 content warnings: stalking, bu...

We’ve gotten a couple of mediocre episodes but that doesn’t stop us from digging into all things Mona and Hanna this week. We discuss Hanna’s soul searching, Mona’s affection for her, their summer of friendship and what secrets Mona actually knows. We’re also caught in the Ezria whirlpool again, the Hastings keep getting sketchier, everyone continues to blame Jason and Aria really needs to start c...

We can’t believe that this wasn’t part of a two-parter to close season 4, the action of the opener season 5 seems essential! We discuss the consequences of meeting up with Alison, Cece’s action bonafides, Melissa’s secret info and new club, and Shanas abrupt end. We also shake our heads at the big lie that sets up the new status quo in Rosewood. Episode 57 content warnings: stalking, bullying, gro...

We finally know what happened the night Alison disappeared and we weren’t that far off in our guesses. We are of course left with more questions than answers and we discuss the return of Noel, Cece and Melissa, the changing sides of the characters, Jessica's horrible fate, the Hasting's secret, and shooting on the roof. Episode 56 content warnings: stalking, bullying, grooming, mental he...

Brenton finds himself strangely fixated on Arias getaway, the lack of dramatic stakes and the nice new boy and wonders if maybe she’s the most self destructive of the Liars. We also discuss Emily going attack mode, the shows depiction of OCD and Spencer’s trauma, Fitz’s A theories, and whether Mona tells the truth. Finally we wrap things up with a new tier list and season 4 finale predictions. Epi...

We get the biggest reveal so far on one of the goofiest sets we've ever seen proving that Pretty Little Liars is truly an amazing show. We discuss the Fitz reveal, how long the showrunners had planned this and his over the top surveillance equipment. We also cover Aria's exciting and extremely complicated couple of episodes, Spencer's slide into addiction and the reactions of her fr...

As PLL takes a step into Spencer's noir themed dream, we find ourselves wowed by the production but a little let down by the episode. We discuss the spot on production design, the lack of range for the characters and the influences making up the episode's homages. Before that, we run through an excellent episode where Fitz truly shows his manipulative colors. Episode 53 content warnings:...

A has gone to incredible lengths before, but nothing quite as triggering for Brenton. Luckily we have plenty of other things to be excited about including Mona’s new relationship, Emily’s righteous fury, Hannah’s new hobby, Spencer’s new secret, & a big big reveal. We also spend an extended period of time arguing over whether Mona should be forgiven. Episode 52 content warnings: stalking, bull...

We're finally back! Where have we been? It's complicated... but we're excited to finally be back in Rosewood. We discuss Fitz's new turn, his motivations, how long it'll last and hilarious spying vantage points. We also run down Haleb's complications, Spencer talking down to Hannah, the friend group doppelgangers, the situation with Ali and pour one out for inevitable...

We get lost in the weeds in all the unanswered questions and lore surrounding the pact. We discuss and debate how the pact actually works, what familial ties each character has and the nebulous involvement of side characters like Tess. We also discuss how ancillary Hanna is and the show's failures in creating exciting romance plots.  Most importantly though, this episode means we're done...

Surprise surprise; Ravenswood has a couple pretty good episode! Emily's finding they come too late to care and she's right since we only have two more episodes to watch. We discuss the arrival of Jamie in Ravenswood, Springer's reappearance, our good friend Bea, what this show would be like if it wasn't a PLL spin off, Remy's adventures in dreamland and why the entire cast...