"Pretty Little Liars" has been a part of my life since I was 12 years old and to see it end is very bittersweet. Year after year, the PLL fandom has waited to discover the identity of A, who is (SPOILER ALERT) Cece Drake aka Charlotte DiLaurentis. Five years later, we find the girls back in Rosewood because Alison has requested for them to testify in order to have Charlotte released from the sanitarium. Next thing you know Charlotte is found dead outside of a church and the girls get a text message from Uber A. All I'm thinking is 'Really, you made us wait six years to find out who A is and now we have to figure out who this new mystery person is'. Have we not suffered enough?
Although it sucks being put on the same rollercoaster for one more season, I wouldn't have it any other way. The summer before "Pretty Little Liars" premiered I had just moved to Nigeria, which was one of the biggest life changes I've ever had to undergo, and every day at around 4 o' clock the electricity would go out and wouldn't come back until 6 o'clock. Regardless of the obstacles, I made sure to watch "Pretty Little Liars" every week, keeping up to date will all the show's theories, cast members, writers. I was emotionally and mentally involved in this show because at the time it felt like it was all I had.
Pretty Little Liars has gotten me through my preteen years and has taught me some very important life lessons that I will take with me into my adulthood.
1. It's Not Okay To Normalize Inappropriate or Unhealthy Relationships
One of the most controversial topics on PLL was the romantic student-teacher relationship between Ezra and Aria aka Ezria. Everything about that relationship was just creepy and weird. The fact that Ezra knowingly hooked up with a minor is already a red flag but then continues to pursue her for the sake of a book. WTF? Not to mention the fact that two seasons earlier he had the audacity to get in front of her parents and tell them he's in love with her and Aria is just standing next to him lookin' just as triflin'. Like girl what are you doing?
Speaking of pedophilia does no one remember the fact that Jenna and Garrett were dating for a good portion of season two up until his death. This dude was a cop and he was dating a blind girl in high school, not to say that Jenna was an angel because she may or may not have manipulated Garrett into the relationship but still, completely inappropriate. I can't believe the writers would sneak this under our noses. Other creepers on the show were Ian, Wren, and the infamous Wilden
2. If Your Friends Aren't Willing To Bury A Dead Body, Are They Really Your Friends?
If there's one thing that PLL has taught me it's the value of friendship. PLL really sets the bar high for what loyalty is and the importance of having a good support system. Spencer, Hanna, Aria and Emily went into their sophomore year of high school as acquaintances and came out as BFF's. They have become so close that their bond is unbreakable. I don't know many people who would sneak into a sanitarium for me let alone take the fall for murder.
3. Trust No One
I'm not saying literally don't trust anyone but just keep in mind who you bring into your circle. Not everyone has your best interest at heart and will gladly take advantage of you for their own selfish gain. So the best thing for you to do is just make sure to watch out for yourself. There's a bunch of A's out in this world who could be waiting to tear you down.
4. Be Kind To Everyone
Alison is the H.B.I.C in charge (Head Bully In Charge) and her bullying is basically what got her and the Liars in many life-threatening, risky situations.This is just something to keep in mind, everybody is going through something. So it's just best to treat everyone with the same love and respect that you would want to be to given. Your words and actions may not seem like they affect others but a little joke or a smart remark could push someone over the edge.
5. People Aren't Always What They Seem
There have been so many revelations and betrayals on this show that it's hard to keep track. No one who is who they seem to be in Rosewood and it's actually kind of scary. Even Toby had us shook when he became part of the A team but luckily he was just trying to protect Spencer and the girls. Anyway, you can never judge a book by its cover, you're just gonna have to read between the lines.
6. Mental Health Is So Important
It's probably safe to say that the Liars will be suffering from PTSD for the rest of their lives including Mona. As unrealistic as these girls lives are their experiences are not all that unique. In Season 2, Hanna refused to go see a therapist, basically saying she doesn't need help but definitely needed a way to cope with everything that's been going. In Season 3, after finding a dead body in the woods that was supposedly Toby's, Spencer had a breakdown and was checked into Radley the morning after. Although Spencer faked her reasoning for being checked in she definitely needed the time off to distance herself from the girls and the rest of Rosewood.
7. Not Every Cop Is A Good Cop
We've seen a lot of dirty cops on the show from Wilden's creepy ass to Garret's fake ass to Holbrook's scary ass and possibly Lieutenant Tanner so it's safe to say that Rosewood has the worst police department in TV history. They continuously tried to pin Alison's murder on the girls without really doing any investigating. 'A' basically did most of the work for them and they kinda just took the bait. Till this day they haven't been able to solve any murders.
8. If You Feel Like You Always Have To Be Strong It's Okay To Break![]()
Throughout the series we've seen the Liars go through everything from heartbreak, the death of a parent, the death of their significant other, divorce, being run over by a car, trapped in a box with a dead body, trapped inside a madhouse with their biggest bully controlling them. You know teenage things but even going through all of that the Liars managed to stay strong. No matter how hard things got they rarely ever break which is very admirable but sometimes you have to let yourself have a good cry.
