“The Pretty Little Liars” has returned to ABC Family with its second season, picking up from the dramatic cliffhanger where the television series left off in season one: Hannah, unconscious on the ground after being hit by a car.
Hannah is hospitalized for several injuries, and her three best friends are distressed by the recent series of events. Besides the hit and run, they have also been harassed by a person who seems to know their deepest and darkest secrets…and is willing to leak them to the world: “A.”
“A” continues to send the girls—Spencer, Aria and Emily and Hannah—text messages, e-mails, and threatening messages, surrounding the death of their friend, Allie, who was murdered a year ago.
Hannah regains consciousness the next morning, and the friends discuss A’s identity; Aria also reveals a secret: she and Ezra Fitz, her teacher, have a relationship that surpasses the standard student-teacher relationship, which could land them both in a lot of trouble.
This leads to the girl’s suspicions of Noel as the mysterious “A.” Hannah arouses suspicions of Noel, a fellow classmate who has expressed interest in Aria, because she claims to have seen him write “I see you” on Mr.Fitz’s car the previous night.
Speaking of the devil, Noel shows up at the hospital to visit Hannah, bouquet in hand. When Aria questions him about his whereabouts of the night of the accident, Noel gives an alibi: he was with his friend, Sean, who is also Hannah’s boyfriend.
After the girls have left, another visitor comes to the hospital: Mona, Hannah’s former best friend, comes by to apologize for her mean behavior and nasty stunts to bring down Hannah, aka spreading rumors about Hannah and not inviting Hannah to her sweet sixteen.
The girls exchange apologies and rekindle their friendship.
Meanwhile, Ezra and Aria discuss their outlawed relationship. Should it continue? Or is it too dangerous? Despite the obvious risks, the couple decides to continue their relationship, unable to deny a powerful attraction, although Ezra has his concerns.
At the hospital, Hannah has yet another visitor: Lucas, a friend from school, sneaks into the room as Hannah is sleeping and slips away before she wakes up, leaving her with a kiss on the forehead.
The next day, however, Lucas admits to his surprise visit after Hannah questions him about it. She tries to make the extent of their relationship clear – just friends, and nothing more. But Lucas is unwilling to accept it. He storms out of the room, angry and hurt.
Emily had been slightly overlooked this episode, but not for long. She shocks her father, on leave from the army, with a surprising announcement: “I’m gay.” Her parents have trouble dealing with this announcement. Her father is simply happy that she wasn’t involved with drugs, pregnant or something worse, while her mother just wants to solve her daughter’s “latest experiment.”
The girls reunite at Hannah’s room in the hospital, and find a note on Hannah’s cast – from A. It reads, “Sorry I lost my temper, my bad – A.”
The episode closes with Ian, a former friend of the girl’s and a former flame of Allie’s, eloping with Spencer’s sister Melissa.
Exciting and eventful, albeit a little confusing, Pretty Little Liars definitely did not disappoint with the first episode of season 2. There was a lot of drama, suspense, and the eerie moments that practically define the series.
However, for those who read the books, the show does contain events that are not mentioned in the novel – a slightly frustrating experience for those who adored the series by Sara Shepard.
7/10