On The Perfectionists 1×03, Ava, Dylan, and Caitlin are tied to Alison after her claim to Dana Booker, BHU’s head of security, that they were together at Alison’s. How fast will she realize they’re lying?
On Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists 1×03, the fates of her three students are tied to her own, putting Alison on a mission to solve Nolan’s murder before she’s wrapped up in another Rosewood-esque murder mystery. Meanwhile, Ava, Dylan, and Caitlin begin their own investigation into Nolan’s shady death and try to figure out who’s trying to set them up.
The Perfectionists season 1 has not hesitated to build up the intense and overwhelming mystery that will sustain the show for years to come, should it be renewed, but this episode put the brakes on to give the characters a chance to breathe and dig for clues.
Alison and Mona’s unexpected alliance
Alison and Mona are in this mess together, even if the episode is a bit light on Mona, and their partnership is going to inevitably lead to an interesting friendship between these two powerful women.
Every step Alison makes in this investigation brings her back to Mona’s home to discuss further steps, what to watch out for, and what Mona could be doing to help Alison find the truth about Nolan’s murder and what is really going on in Beacon Heights. Together, Alison and Mona are determined to quickly solve this mystery and get back to their fresh start, but they’re just getting deeper and reverting into their old ways.
Unfortunately for those of us hoping for further explanation of the final scene of The Perfectionists 1×01, we’re no closer to figuring out exactly what Mona’s up to.
The writers are going to need to give us something to tease what Mona’s been up to in Beacon Heights because we’ve just been left hanging without an explanation. Let’s not have a repeat of Pretty Little Liars, where dramatic moments like this were created and dropped without further explanation. Hopefully, Mona will get a chance to shine in an upcoming episode and we’ll figure out a little more of her history in Oregon.
I’m really enjoying this new chapter for Alison and Mona, and I’m beyond excited to see where this path takes these characters. From their time on Pretty Little Liars, Alison and Mona have grown exponentially, and as easy as it is to slide back into old habits, it’s clear they’re really trying to be better people and live long, happy lives.
As the series goes on, I’m excited to see these women have a bond like Aria, Spencer, Emily, and Hanna. Nothing really ties friends together like somebody trying to frame them for murder, and while Mona may not be a suspect (yet), she also has an extraordinarily suspicious past for Dana Booker to uncover.
Blossoming friendship
The Perfectionists 1×03 focuses heavily on Ava, Dylan, and Caitlin and developing their characters and the surprising friendship they’re finding in each other.
Instead of -A, Dana Booker, Beacon Heights University’s demonic head of security, is bringing the Perfectionists together in the wake of Nolan’s murder and creating an environment where they have no other choice than to rely on each other to keep themselves safe and out of prison.
It’s quite possible we’ll see these three have a real friendship before the end of the season, but I’m expected some drama and backlash over past secrets that keeps them separated for far longer than the Liars were. This episode drastically improves their relationship, but for how long will that improvement last before they revert?
Meanwhile, Dana definitely has her sights set on Caitlin as the prime suspect in the murder investigation, though Dylan and Ava are on her radar, too. Alison might have even made a mistake stepping up to be their alibi, especially if events keep unfolding in the same manner.
Dana is potentially worse than Wilden and Tanner at their prime because she has no rules to follow. She’s not a police officer; she’s BHU’s Head of Security, granted access to everything and everyone by Claire Hotchkiss, meaning she can essentially do whatever she wants. Unlike the former detectives, Dana isn’t held back because the characters aren’t minors either (not that the girls being minors stopped anyone on Pretty Little Liars).
Ava confiding in Caitlin and Dylan already that she followed Nolan to the cabin, saw Taylor (though only made out her blonde hair), and revealed that pilot episode mystery is a sign that this show isn’t going to be waiting around for years before revealing secrets. It’s full speed ahead, and hopefully, most of the characters make it out alive.
One thing I’m really going to need is for Ava’s grief to end and for her to stop taking everything out on those around her. It’s hard to root for her when she’s being mean for no reason, especially to Caitlin and Dylan who are just trying to help her because they knew she genuinely had feelings for Nolan.
Aside from that, it’s too early on in the show to even care about Nolan’s death, much less the reaction one of the characters has to it. We don’t know enough about the characters or their relationships for it to have an impact.
The others
One thing I love about The Perfectionists thus far is the lack of focus on the relationships. The girls are being developed on their own before their relationships are pressed for drama, which is fantastic (Dylan isn’t included because his story is all about Andrew). Caitlin and Ava are really becoming strong, developed characters in the first season, which is hard to do in such a short time span.
Jeremy is MIA and Andrew is in Seattle, so we’re able to see the Perfectionists by themselves and see the beginning of a beautiful, messy, and long-lasting friendship. Even though they have their differences, Ava, Caitlin, and Dylan all have something in common: They were betrayed and blackmailed by the same man.
As Alison used the Liars’ secrets to keep them all close, even when they struggled to break free of her hellish grip, Nolan did the same, except he was much more intent on ruining their lives if they blindsided him.
Claire is incredibly interesting and possibly the most suspicious character in Beacon Heights, which means she will probably meet her untimely end rather early in the series. However, for now, I just want to bask in Kelly Rutherford’s talent and love to hate the worst mother in Beacon Heights.
Claire’s plan to manipulate Caitlin, especially so early into the investigation, was brilliant, as these characters are always looking out for themselves. However, she was like a day too late as Caitlin had already grown too fond of Ava and Dylan to spy on them like that.
Has Claire shed a tear since Nolan’s death? I can see becoming rather cold after Taylor’s suicide (which is another suspicious part of Claire’s behavior as she refers to that as Taylor “leaving”), but I can’t tell whether she’s not heartbroken by her son’s death because she’s a cold-hearted woman or because she’s partially responsible.
Honestly, why even reveal Taylor is still alive in the pilot if she’s barely going to be in the season? This is the second episode without her, and it just seems like if the reveal had been saved for later this season, it would have been a lot more shocking. Like, “Who’s the blonde Nolan met up with?” but Ava doesn’t know and the viewers don’t know, so it’s a season-long mystery and we suspect Taylor, but can’t be entirely sure.
Alison figuring out Taylor’s secret is intriguing and I wonder how seeing Taylor’s fear and distrust of the world will remind Alison of her own time away and faking her death. I’m particularly interested in seeing how Alison figuring out Taylor is alive, finding her, and helping her return to society will give her a new perspective and put her in the shoes of her best friends when they sought her out in Pretty Little Liars season 4.
The one character I’m hoping bites the dust by the end of the season is Mason. The new Nolan is unnecessary and Mason is grating on my nerves with his new act to take his childhood pal’s place in Beacon Heights University’s royalty. He reminds me of Noel Kahn and the arrogance he exuded as he stalked around Rosewood knowing nothing, yet pretending to be an insider on everyone’s lives. Maybe Ava, Dylan, and Caitlin can pull an Emily and behead Mason (accidentally, of course).
Final thoughts
This show just keeps getting better. Every episode is a step up from the last, in one way or another. There weren’t as many shocking moments, but what I’m most looking forward to is the character’s growth, not the mystery. Like Pretty Little Liars, the mystery was interesting, but I watched for the characters and their journeys, not for answers.
By the end of the series, many were disappointed with the show because of the answers that had been given, but my love for PLL only grew during the flash-forward. If you watch these shows solely for answers, you’re going to be disappointed. It’s hard to carry on a show for so many years and keep the mystery as riveting as it originally was without a few missteps or red herrings.
If you step into the universe and expect to be enthralled by the characters and their growth throughout the mysteries, that’s how you’ll always love the shows. So be kind and patient with The Perfectionists as we (hopefully) have a lot of time to go before any ending or conclusion to the mysteries.
In future episodes, my hope is to see more from Mona and Alison. Mona hasn’t really had a chance to shine; she’s still sidelined for the other characters, just like in the original, and that’s going to need to change immediately. Mona is arguably the most interesting character in the series, and she has great, unexplored potential to play a pivotal role in the mystery.
Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists continues Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET. on Freeform!
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