It’s 13 years to the day that Pretty Little Liars premiered. Yes, you did read that correctly. Little did we know back then just how enthralled we were set to become by the murderous town of Rosewood. For the uninitiated (where have you been?), PLL was centred on a group of friends, aptly called “the Liars,” who begin receiving threatening texts signed by an anonymous “A.” The unknown entity knows intimate secrets about their lives and families, and keeps the group under constant surveillance. For a while, Aria, Emily, Spencer, and Hanna think the texts may be coming from their missing, presumed-to-be dead pal, Alison. If only it were that simple… The hit show, which often made me want to throw away my phone and had me double-checking locked doors, went on for 7 drama-filled seasons. And yes, although the storylines became increasingly ridiculous, sometimes to the point where we had no idea what was going on, the majority of us remained loyal to the end. In 2022, a reboot of Pretty Little Liars debuted, initiating a whole new generation to the fanbase. Now, 13 years after the original series premiered, it’s time to check back in on our favourite liars.
Lucy Hale
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Lucy Hale played the small but mighty Aria Montgomery. Her character earned instant brownie points early on, as her mum, Ella, was portrayed by Holly Marie Combs, best known as Piper from Charmed. Aria had many talk-worthy storylines over the years, most notably her romantic relationship with her teacher Ezra Fitz (Ian Harding). The duo were a fan-favourite pairing and a leading ship on social media. Of course, with hindsight, the relationship was more than a little problematic, but we’ll return to that on another day. Away from Rosewood, Hale has been busy since wrapping up her character’s story. The actress went on to play Katy Keene in Riverdale, a small role which introduced her character to the fandom before she went on to lead her own spin-off, Katy Keene. The series was cancelled after just one season. In 2022, Hale starred in the comedy film Big Gold Brick, opposite Oscar Isaac. In February 2023, the actress revealed she was celebrating one-year of sobriety. In an Instagram caption, she told fans: “While this journey has mostly been private, I felt compelled tonight to let anyone who is struggling know that you are not alone and you are loved.” In response, her PLL co-star Troian Bellasario wrote: “This is brave. And cool. And inspirational. And you deserve all the self love and love from others that goes with it.”
Troian Bellisario
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