‘Pretty Little Liars: Summer School’ Review – A Killer Sophomore Season

The Original Sin Liars are back, and this time, they’re facing a whole new nightmare in Max’s Pretty Little Liars: Summer School.

Season 2 picks up six months after our favorite little Liars survived their brush with “A” (Archie Waters, remember him?), and now they’re facing a horrifying new adversary: summer school. Farewell Hot Girl Summer. I’ve been waiting since the original series debuted in 2010 for this dose of reality to come to fruition. Surviving “A” and keeping up your GPA just isn’t synonymous with one another.

But Millwood wouldn’t be Millwood without a fresh batch of secrets and screams. Enter Bloody Rose Waters, a creepy urban legend with a grudge against our five final girls: Imogen (Bailee Madison), Tabby (Chandler Kinney), Noa (Maia Reficco), Mouse (Malia Pyles), and Faran (Zaria). 

Season two kicks off shortly after the events of Original Sin. And the opening sequence is absolute CHAOS. It felt like one of those badly edited home movies people make for their parents’ anniversary—shaky and jumping from one scene to the next. Except, you know, bloodier. I was worried the season was going to be a hot mess, but rest assured my fellow PLL fans, Summer School quickly finds its footing and does not disappoint. While the episode count is shorter this time around, it delivers everything we’ve grown to love about PLL. It’s campy. It’s nostalgic. It’s a love letter to slasher classics like Scream and Halloween. We even get a cameo from an OG PLL, Dr. Sullivan (Annabeth Gish), who cannot resist a girl group cAtastrophe. 

What truly elevates Summer School is the focus on the characters themselves. We already know and love these girls from season one, but watching how each Liar copes with the trauma they endured while a new threat and new romances emerge in season two is quite beautiful. They are stronger and more resilient than ever. And they even make a genius pact: no answering unknown calls. 

With her mom now in rehab, Noa begins taking on more responsibility, all while confronting a piece of her past that has arrived in Millwood. We finally see her begin to trust her instincts more—even if she doesn’t always think things through first. Faran has a beautiful arc this season, shedding her carefully constructed persona and truly defining what it means to be badass. Many of her scenes were infuriating to watch as she dealt with the complexities of navigating spaces dominated by men. It was a powerful reminder of the challenges women face every single day, but it also fueled her determination to break free from those limitations.

Tabby faces a similar struggle as an aspiring Black filmmaker trying to break into a field that all too often dismisses diverse perspectives. Both Faran and Tabby face the reality of being exceptional women in a world that often tries to silence them, but they channel their frustrations in their own unique ways and never hold back.

And Mouse? We didn’t get enough of her in Original Sin. This season, she is the ultimate sleuth, becoming borderline addicted to a website (awfully) named “Spooky Spaghetti.” Seriously, she seems like the only one who really cares about getting to the bottom of who’s tormenting them. Imogen is preoccupied with her own battles. Her sense of self is shattered. She’s grieving the loss of her mom, dealing with “A” trauma, and struggling with the aftermath of giving her baby up for adoption. Sigh. It’s a lot. 

Summer School feels more intense and suspenseful this season. The stakes are higher, the threats are more personal, and there’s more depth to the girls themselves. The pacing is perfect, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats as the plot unfolds with surprising twists and turns. The show quickly settles into a groove, allowing for character development and exploration of this season’s villain. The horror elements are balanced with humor and emotional moments, with romances that feel genuine and add to the overall story. 

Pretty Little Liars: Summer School is addicting, fresh, and campy, all wrapped up in a summer slasher package. It’s a well-crafted sequel to Original Sin that will leave fans wanting more. I am counting down the days until episode 6 airs and I can continue to see how the journey unfolds for our five final girls. 

Pretty Little Liars: Summer School is currently available to stream on Max. New episodes premiere every Friday until June 20th.