One thing about the internet is that it can be pretty convincing and fooling. Buzzfeed articles titled “the craziest teen drama moments” and Stan Twitter have tricked me into believing that Pretty Little Liars’ only legacy was their insane plot twists, inappropriate teacher-student relationship that transcended the entire series, and now-dated outfits choices. Well, with the PLL Original Sin reboot going from an anticipated failure to pleasantly surprising success built on good aesthetics, well-acted performances, and quality storytelling, it has reminded me just how impactful and revolutionary Pretty Little Liars was and still is.
It was revolutionary in many ways. But one way is in the fashion industry. At the time, it was THE fashion TV show, even if now the looks are a bit dated (although Spencer’s classic style has proven to be the most timeless of the 4 main girls). Mandi Line became a certifiable genius when it came to showcasing all that 2010s fashion had to offer.
The 2010’s have an endless amount of aesthetics for fashionistas to draw from, but the main ones more or less were captured with the main quartet of PLL. The show’s character with the most unique style was Aria. She used her cultured upbringing and love for vintage and edgy pieces and showed women how to get creative with their closets. Her style combined the hipsters of the 2010s with the rising thrifting trend and the soft grunge Tumblr aesthetic (if you know, you know). It wasn’t exactly trendy or timeless, but somewhere in the middle, which was the biggest factor in her uniqueness. Sometimes she was tasteful, and other times she was so outlandish it almost went over the line into the tasteless territory, but either way, she is probably the character who set the most trends at the time from hair feathers to thrifting. Hanna wore the biggest trends on the runway at the time. When neon was in, she took full advantage. When grunge was in, she also took full advantage. She was what every 2010s fashionista wanted to be. Her style is a bit dated now, but at the time she was the most stylish character. Emily went from the wearing-basics-only athlete to the epitome of 90s grunge, which was huge in the mid-late 2010s (which was very different from Tumblr girl soft grunge). She religiously wears muscle tees, flannels, acid wash, denim and dark colors. She wasn’t as into fashion as the other girls, but when she didi dress up, she pulled out all the stops, often having the some of best dressed-up looks out of all the girls. While in hindsight Spencer may be the most fashionable Liar, due to her style being the most timeless of all the Liars, although at the time she was seen as the plainest of all the girls. She wore patriotic colors, pearls, blazers, neutrals, florals, button-downs, stripes and cardigans. She was also costumey. If there was a vibe she was going for, she fully committed whether it was a 70s cowboy, a 50s sailor or a summer in the Hamptons. She utilized the Twee aesthetic of the 2010s through her love of animal patterns and peter pan colors. Out of all the Liars, her complete aesthetic would probably still work today.
The fashion was beloved that it led to the American Eagle collection that was inspired by the show and actually worn throughout Season 4. If you have a 2010s mood board for fashion, one of these girls is bound to be on it, no matter what aesthetic you are going for.
Fashion is just one aspect that made Pretty Little Liars revolutionary. Another key aspect is their LGBTQ+ representation. The show’s creator I. Marlene King is a lesbian herself, which gave authenticity to Emily’s already established coming-out storyline originally written by Sarah Shepard. Shay Mitchell’s sweet and trusting demeanor made her vulnerability as Emily that much more emotional to watch. As a straight actor, it was clear that she put in the work to play Emily as authentically and realistically as possible, and at a time that LGBTQ+ representation was scarce (Glee has only been out for one season), this was very revolutionary. However, Emily’s relationships weren’t romanticized or sexualized. They were shown in complex and nuanced ways, involving romantic toxicity, manipulation, loss, grief and betrayal, that LGBTQ+ relationships on screen hardly were ever given.
However, its most revolutionary aspect was its effect on social media. Pretty Little Liars came out around the same time Twitter was blowing up. Between its alluring breakout stars, its riveting mystery, its target audience of social media-obsessed teenagers (specifically women), and endless material fan theories, fans on Twitter would go crazy. The actors gained huge followings on social media and would constantly so set behind the scenes, an inside look at cast reunions at personal events like Bar Mitzvahs and Weddings, and insider information about the show.
Almost every Tuesday night, the show would be trending. During the finales, the show would be trending for days. Specifically, during the Mid-season 3 finale when Toby was revealed to be working with A. That was one of the first times a TV show broke the internet and was trending worldwide for days. The show also had the most-tweeted-about episode of television during its final season in 2017. Their expert social media marketing campaigns even got recognition for the Shorty Awards.
This all helped Pretty Little Liars become the most social TV show in the history of television (at the time) and of all of the 2010s. This had pros and cons. The stars had their privacy taken away. There was instant feedback, which was good and bad. This offered community for names coined as #PLLFamily and #PLLArmy. However, this also caused fans to spoil episodes for fans who had to miss episodes. Fans also feel an extreme amount of entitlement and ownership. Fans were so hungry for answers that the script for an episode ironically entitled “A is for Answers,” which centered around Alison telling the Liars the long-awaited truth about what happened the nights he disappeared, was leaked online prior to the episode premiering.
PLL also took notes from other teen shows and adapted them into a darker, more sinister take. Much like Gossip Girl’s Blair Waldorf would dream herself into Audrey Hepburn movies, PLL had an affinity for Old Hollywood as well, with many in the film noir genre, going as far as to have a fully noir episode entitled “Shadow Play”. They used music from periods like Patsy Cline’s “Walkin After Midnight” and Billy Williams & Sammy Kaye’s “Don’t Fence Me In” instead of certain glamorous environments like Gossip Girl, they made it utterly terrifying and creepy. Aria Montgomery and Alison DiLaurentis would often reference Old Hollywood films as well like It Happened One Night and Breakfast At Tiffany’s. This was recycled in the show’s reboot Orignal Sin, but instead of repeating the Old Hollywood homages, they modernized it into the 70s and 80s, when the horror genre reigns supreme. The reimagining has “Blue Monday” and “Super Freak” on its soundtrack and pays homage to Halloween and Scream mirrors the original references to the Golden Age of Cinema.
PLL’s impact, especially on social media, is still felt today. Euphoria, with only two seasons under its belt so far, has already claimed the title of the most social show of the 2020s. Word-of-mouth hits like Stranger Things, Riverdale, Outer Banks and Abbott Elementary wouldn’t be the acclaimed hits they are today without social media’s help. PLL also wouldn’t have gotten not just one, but three spinoffs without fans hungry for the nostalgic thrill only a PLL show can provide. It’s safe to say, the only secret PLL didn’t keep was how impactful social media is on the success of a TV show, especially one targeted towards teens.
Now, no TV show is perfect, and sure PLL has it’s flaws, but its core is quality. It’s a well-written and well-acted mystery, with Seasons 1, 2 and 5 being particularly riveting from start to finish. It also has, at it’s core, great messages. It deals with singular high school experiences, cyberbullying, queerness, but mainly this show’s complex and enduring female friendships and complicated female characters. These friendships and characters are what was truly impactful about the show.