After seven seasons of Pretty Little Liars, which spanned about a decade of the characters’ lives, is there enough material left to tell compelling stories about Alison DiLaurentis and Mona Vanderwaal? I definitely think so.
Gone are the Pretty Little Liars that we watched fend off Mona, Charlotte, and Alex for so many years, and in are these new “liars,” or rather “perfectionists,” who are struggling to make it in the competitive town of Beacon Heights, Oregon.
Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists won’t be completely unrecognizable, though. Two of the most interesting characters, Alison and Mona, will be enveloped in a new mystery in their new town.
However, after everything the two went through on the original series, there’s a question of what material is left to cover with them. How they can continue to grow after being developed for so many years? (For one, Alison and Mona had more personalities than -A had hoodies. What’s one more?)
Though Alison DiLaurentis and Mona Vanderwaal were two extremely important antagonists in Rosewood (and the liars’ lives) over the years, and both Sasha Pieterse and Janel Parrish were credited as series regulars, Alison and Mona never fell out of the supporting character role.
Sure, their actions played an enormous part in how things transpired, but the focus on the two characters was always minimal. Each season, we’d see the characters return and their personalities would have shifted overnight, unlike the main characters who went through years of trauma and torture to come out of the other side.
After her disappearance, “death,” miraculous return, bad girl bitchiness, and even the mess of her flash-forward life, what is left to explore with Alison, in particular?
Alison was always a more important character than Mona because it was Alison who got the girls wrapped up with -A and the mystery surrounding her “last night” in Rosewood.
In the flash-forward, 23-year-old Alison had become Rosewood’s English teacher, though her character hadn’t gone through the same growth as the others.
On the other hand, Mona was the infamous and original -A, who first subjected Alison, Aria, Spencer, Hanna, and Emily to their notorious stalker’s devious ways.
Mona wore more faces than anyone else ever could on television (which proves how talented Janel is), and now is the chance to finally give Mona the necessary time on-screen and stories that can make her a great character.
As much as I have always loved Mona, she never had the chance to shine because the liars always overshadowed her. Not anymore.
Alison and Mona were constantly used as antagonists to drive the four liars crazy, so seeing them as the main protagonists in their own series will be a welcome change of pace.
Both of these women are incredibly talented, brilliant, and they have gone through more than anyone else ever should. I mean, Alison was almost killed and was buried alive, while Mona was trapped in an underground dollhouse for at least half a year.
If anything, other characters can look at these two and go, “Hey, what I’m going through is not that bad.”
Since we were never able to see Alison and Mona explored as deeply and thoroughly as the liars were, I’m hoping Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists gives us a detailed, intriguing glimpse into these characters and takes them in new directions.
As much as Queen Bee Alison and “crazy” Mona were a treat to watch on Pretty Little Liars, it’s time for a change.
There’s definitely enough substance left in the characters for them to lead their own series, but it also depends on how the writers treat them.
If Alison and Mona are going to be made second fiddle to Dylan, Ava, and Caitlin’s stories, then, no, it won’t do to have them on this spin-off.
In order for these characters to really work on this new show, and for fans to understand and accept why the writers have chosen to bring along Alison and Mona to a new chapter, they have to be the stars.
Alison and Mona have been in the shadows long enough, living behind the liars. Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists is their time to shine.
See Alison and Mona in action on Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists when it premieres on Wednesday, March 20.
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