Content warning for discussion of sexual assault.
There’s no doubt in my mind that folks likely thought Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin wouldn’t be good. I mean, anything that focuses mainly on young women is usually dismissed, especially if the group mostly consists of women of color. Thankfully, PLL: Original Sin delivered and gave us a Gen Z-style slasher series with a level of camp that’s satisfactory and social commentary that’s relevant. A lot went into the cinematography and the characters, and the mystery in the first season wasn’t at all easy to sort out.
Fans wondered if season 2 was coming at all, though. Even when shows are well received and beloved, they can easily get axed, and with all the weirdness going on with HBO Max, the series’ home, at the moment, it’s valid to be concerned. Fortunately, Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin didn’t get chopped and was renewed for season 2 this month!
PLL: Original Sin season 1 wrapped up nicely, but there are still questions that will undoubtedly be answered in season 2. But in terms of what I’d like to see happen, regardless of possibility? There’s a few things that I personally want to see.
1. Imogen at peace
Imogen (Bailee Madison) went through the damn ringer in season 1. She dealt with the aftermath of being raped and carrying her rapist’s child, lost her mother, witnessed a lot of violence, and had her water break during a chaotic moment. In the end, she opted to give her baby up for adoption (unfortunately to a PLL couple that’s beyond problematic). Ultimately, having Imogen in a different place in season 2 would be nice to see—and also having her acknowledge that healing will take time. She’s a final girl, after all.
2. Queer romance (Imogen + Tabby, maybe?)
The one thing that was missing from PLL: Original Sin season 1 was a confirmed queer character among the girls. Having Mouse’ (Malia Pyles) parents be a lesbian couple was pretty precious, not to mention Angela Waters (Gabriella Pizzolo) was queer (and had a secret relationship with Minnie’s bio mom), but otherwise, we were left to speculate. Some of us do/did like the idea of Imogen and Tabby (Chandler Kinney) as a pairing. Their scenes together sometimes bordered on implying romance. Yes, their friendship was a high point in the first season, though I certainly wouldn’t mind having them end up together.
3. A higher kill count
This is not to say that Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin was bloodless. There were plenty of deaths and some really memorable moments. The bathroom scene in the Halloween episode, anybody? I just want to see more blood and kills that are high-stakes. Obviously, I don’t want any of the girls to get killed off, but if I’m being honest (even if it sounds a bit harsh), I think another one of the moms should’ve been killed off. It would’ve made everything that much more dire. Fingers crossed that “A” is back and badder than ever in season 2.
4. Sheriff Beasley’s demise or suffering
If anybody is a practically irredeemable character, it’s Sheriff Beasley (Eric Johnson). He’s a horrible person even before it’s revealed that he raped Angela Waters, and him being a closeted gay man (unless he identifies as queer) doesn’t excuse his bullshit, either. He caused a lot of issues for the girls and even made his own family miserable. Him being in a position of power does add an element to that. Of course his horrific behavior rears its ugly head when he almost kills his daughter and wife, only to be (not fatally) stabbed by said wife. Him surviving his stabbing was disappointing, and he definitely deserves the wrath of “A.”
5. More chase scenes
Thankfully, season 1 wasn’t without any chase scenes (it wouldn’t be a true slasher series without at least one or two chases), but if season 2 goes wild in terms of events, then I’d love to see more harrowing chase scenes. Let people make potentially fatal mistakes! It makes for a lot of suspense and great horror moments. Otherwise, if they keep the chase scenes in line with season 1, then we’ve got nothing to worry about.
How about you? What do you want to see happen in season 2?
(featured image: HBO Max)
