Ok - so this is a little bit for the YA writers out there. Also for voracious tv fans, like me....
The elusive "they" say that to write a genre, you should also read that genre. I'll take that a step further and suggest that you also watch your chosen genre. And the trendy teen show that's out there for the youth of the world right now? ABC Family's Pretty Little Liars (In Utah, for Comcast users...that's channel 28 on Monday nights @ 9pm MDT). It's one thing to read a YA novel and picture the MC in your head, how they look, how they talk, what they wear, if they flip their hair, how they look at a cute boy/girl, how they walk, etc. It's a WHOLE different thing to see how the world sees them on screen, and how the actors/actresses slated to play your favorite characters choose to portray them.
Ok - but, enough with my soap box...let's introduce you to the players! *Quick synopsis - 4 teenage friends deal with the aftermath of their friend's unsolved murder and band together to find the elusive, omniscient "A" who threatens to air their dirty laundry to the town and might even be the killer! **note: all pictures posted courtesy of the official PLL website found HERE or IMDB.com.
First - the dead girl:
 |
| Ali...aka "the-best-friend-you're-lucky-you-never-had" |
Hanna Spencer Emily Aria
Hanna is the former fat-girl turned popular (sort of clawed her way to the top).
Spencer is the uber-rich over-achiever, pressured to be the best.
Emily is the athlete, who's struggled in the past with her sexual identity.
Aria is the artsy, would-be-writer, old soul who hooked up with her English teacher.
*Side note - but, seriously!!! By the show of virtual hands, how many of you went to school with a quartet of girls this ridiculously beautiful and put-together? I mean, really??? I digress...
Ok - now meet the could-be, elusive "A"s:
Ok - now meet the could-be, elusive "A"s:
Ian Jenna Lucas Maya
Toby Melissa
Ian - the "older" man, who before Ali's murder was dating Melissa (Spencer's older sister), all the while having a side-fling with Ali AND Spencer. He was also with Ali the night she died...dun, dun, dun....
Jenna - I know she doesn't look it in her pic, but she's blind. Compliments of an prank-gone-wrong by Ali and her friends. Revenge, anyone? She's also in lurve with her step-brother, Toby.
Lucas - token geek boy, relentlessly tortured and publically humiliated by Ali. She called him "Hermy the Hermaphrodite"....so cruel, poor guy. He's also crushing hard on Hanna, but she just likes him as a friend...
Maya - new girl in town and love interest to Emily. Oh! And guess where she lives? Ali's old house. Guess what she threw out on the first show? Some stuff left in Ali's old room. Could there have been a journal there? Tapes? Dirt needed to, say...oh...blackmail people? Hmmm....
Toby - This poor guy's the current patsy. He lived in Ali's neighborhood. Ali didn't like him. (The stink bomb set off in his "special place" by Ali and her friends is the cause of Jenna's blindness). Ali knew about him and Jenna and threatened to tell. But, the poor guy's innocent I tell ya! INNOCENT! (or is that what they want me to think?)
Melissa - the jilted sister. There's a darn good reason she'd have killed Ali. Her quickie marriage to and even quickie-er pregnancy with possibly the last person to see Ali alive is just a bit too convenient for my liking...
Ok, admittedly - this is a show sprinkled with cheese. But, it has taught me some valuable lessons about what's trending with teens today. Apparently, the beret is back in style. I could never pull it off, but that's another matter. And have you heard about "glamping"? Heck, when I went into the woods with a tent - all I came away with were mosquito bites and a serious urge to shower!! Oh, and texting is the new way to stalk and blackmail people. Just so you know. But, seriously - this show's a great look into what's all the rage with teens right now. And how can that do anything but help the aspiring YA Writer!!
And for serious fans of the show....tell me? Who do you think "A" is? My theory? Melissa did it in a jealous rage, upon finding Ian and Ali together. He said he'd keep her secret, but ran away for awhile to avoid suspicion. Now that he's back - they hurried and tied the knot because spouses can't testify against eachother. (that's a law, right?) And the pregnancy is to beg leniency from the jurors on the off-chance she's found out. Am I right? Guess we'll find out eventually..... :) Happy Thursday!!
Ian - the "older" man, who before Ali's murder was dating Melissa (Spencer's older sister), all the while having a side-fling with Ali AND Spencer. He was also with Ali the night she died...dun, dun, dun....
Jenna - I know she doesn't look it in her pic, but she's blind. Compliments of an prank-gone-wrong by Ali and her friends. Revenge, anyone? She's also in lurve with her step-brother, Toby.
Lucas - token geek boy, relentlessly tortured and publically humiliated by Ali. She called him "Hermy the Hermaphrodite"....so cruel, poor guy. He's also crushing hard on Hanna, but she just likes him as a friend...
Maya - new girl in town and love interest to Emily. Oh! And guess where she lives? Ali's old house. Guess what she threw out on the first show? Some stuff left in Ali's old room. Could there have been a journal there? Tapes? Dirt needed to, say...oh...blackmail people? Hmmm....
Toby - This poor guy's the current patsy. He lived in Ali's neighborhood. Ali didn't like him. (The stink bomb set off in his "special place" by Ali and her friends is the cause of Jenna's blindness). Ali knew about him and Jenna and threatened to tell. But, the poor guy's innocent I tell ya! INNOCENT! (or is that what they want me to think?)
Melissa - the jilted sister. There's a darn good reason she'd have killed Ali. Her quickie marriage to and even quickie-er pregnancy with possibly the last person to see Ali alive is just a bit too convenient for my liking...
Ok, admittedly - this is a show sprinkled with cheese. But, it has taught me some valuable lessons about what's trending with teens today. Apparently, the beret is back in style. I could never pull it off, but that's another matter. And have you heard about "glamping"? Heck, when I went into the woods with a tent - all I came away with were mosquito bites and a serious urge to shower!! Oh, and texting is the new way to stalk and blackmail people. Just so you know. But, seriously - this show's a great look into what's all the rage with teens right now. And how can that do anything but help the aspiring YA Writer!!
And for serious fans of the show....tell me? Who do you think "A" is? My theory? Melissa did it in a jealous rage, upon finding Ian and Ali together. He said he'd keep her secret, but ran away for awhile to avoid suspicion. Now that he's back - they hurried and tied the knot because spouses can't testify against eachother. (that's a law, right?) And the pregnancy is to beg leniency from the jurors on the off-chance she's found out. Am I right? Guess we'll find out eventually..... :) Happy Thursday!!
9 comments:
I saw part of an early episode of this, and thought it looked like something teens would really get into. I would probably have kept watching it myself, but I always seem to forget that certain shows are on. Once the kiddo goes to bed, that's kind of my "me" time, and I usually spend it on the computer. But it definitely looks fun!
PS- Have you noticed that the "Family" channel seems to be getting a little risque? It doesn't really bother me, but part of the time I'm thinking, "why do they even bother with the kid-friendly label"? I wouldn't want an 8-12 year-old watching any of those shows. *sigh* It seems I've turned into a weenie mom.
hee hee! i've never heard of this one. sounds dramatic!
but i agree, i think "watching in your genre" is a really good idea!
I just finished the fourth book that names the killer and A, want me to tell you who it(or maybe they) is/are?
Good points about this kind of show being an indicator or what YAs are into, but I've always wondered since I was a YA myself how much the shows themselves drive what the kids are 'doing' as opposed to the show reflecting what the kids are doing. Kinda like a self fulfilling prophesy.
I love to read YA and can handle all the angst. Not sure I could handle writing all the DRAMA though.
Oh, but that's not limited to YA is it? =D
This was great! I am actually about to catch up on the last 2 episodes I missed! I was really impressed with how easily I got hooked on this show. Really need to read the books but I, sort of, cheated and ruined the who-done-it *hangs head in shame*
ah, so many pretty pretty faces ... I'm not watching the show, but I hear it's quite popular.
I've never watched the series or read the books, but it sounds like there's a lot going on in them . . .
I'm so addicted to this show! The fashion is definitely hilarious :)
I have no idea what glamping is. I barely know what a Bieber is.
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