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This show has filled myPretty Little LiarsandTwin Peaksvoid!Janel Parrish:Amazing.
Ive likened the show toTwin Peaksbefore.
A small town, everyones a bit suspicious, who can you trust?
I knew whatever she was going to create was going to be worth it.
JP:Marlene is a genius and I would follow her anywhere.
If she had an idea for anything,I would say yes.
She wanted to know if I was interested, and of course I was.
JP:I came onboard toward the end of the final season.
Why not have her teach in this weird town?
And naturally, Mona is always mixed up in trouble.
JP:She cant help it!
SP:Alison is grown up and facing new challenges.
Shes trying to be a better person, a better wife, and a better mother.
JP:Theres an Alison, but this time theres a guy.
SP:Were putting our crazy past behind us and becoming better people.
Theres a natural skepticism to any spinoff, as fans often carry a but its not the original mind-set.
Did you have any hesitations?SP:That was my only concern.
Whats fun about the show is that you dont have to watchPLLto understand whats going on.
Its a very different mystery, and that makes it scarier.
JP:ItsPLLtimes a million.
Were honoring the old show while adding to it.
Would you actually consider Alison and Mona to be friends now?JP:Yes.
SP:I do, too.
They appreciate each other and they need each other in a lot of ways.
Sometimes they dont have a choice.
JP:Theyve been through a lot together.
They hold each other accountable and are very honest with each other.
JP:Were really like an old married couple.
Ha, I love that comparison.JP:The more you watch it, the more youll see it.
Well start a conversation super friendly and one of us will just be like, God!
SP:Theres a little bit of domestic abuse.
JP:There is alittlebit of that, when Ali gets to slap me in the face.
SP:You slapped me first, to be fair.
Let me just say, Im surprised Monas hostages in Paris escaped.
That was the perfect way toend herPLLrun.JP:Im waiting to hear more about this.
I hope there was an epic escape and she tries really hard to get them back.
We need a flashback.
SP:I want to see the shady shit that happened.
Should we believe both of them?JP:Theyre being truthful.
I think theyre being honest.
JP:And thats what helps them start a friendship.
They thought theyve left this darkness behind them, and theyre like, Look, were grown up now.
This is our chance to start fresh.
Lets help each other through it.Thats when they realize they have more in common than not.
SP:Despite the fact that you tried to kill me a few times.
JP:You did some stuff to me, too!
SP:Shit, yeah, I was pretty evil.
JP:Mona is a control freak.
SP:At first I thought,Huh, Alison is a teacher?
JP:She has lived a lot of lives.
It makes perfect sense to want to inspire kids in a different way through the things shes learned.
The first author she asks her class to read is Agatha Christie.
That is telling of the ways she thinks about life.
Mona tells Alison that she brought her to Beacon Heights because the school needed a new teacher.
But do you think she also wanted a friend?JP:Thats part of it.
But I also think she really, really thought Alison could come and help these kids.
I dont think theres an ulterior motive behind it.
JP:Shes trying.
Its always going to be hard for her to trust other people.
SP:What I love about Mona is that shes complicated, but very simple at the same time.
Mona has always wanted to be accepted and needed.
JP:And loved.
Does lingering trauma or PTSD influence your characters decisions?
Yeah, she misses her kids and her wife.
Her personal life is very complicated.
Part of the reason she goes to Beacon Heights isnt necessarily to run away.
She wants to get a degree to teach at Hollis back in Rosewood.
Yes, shes leaving her kids, but its very temporary.
Shes doing it for the benefit of the family.
JP:Theres PTSD, for sure.
Why is darkness still following us?
How should we interpret that?SP:Theres a lot we dont understand yet, either.
JP:We know theres an answer, but were not 100 percent certain about all the details.
I think Monas speaking to somebody.
SP:This is all speculation from us.
Its interesting how technology has evolved withThe Perfectionists.
Before, A illicitly stalked people into submission.
SP:How many people are involved in this?
Why are they watching?
Why do they have access to so much information?
JP:Its a legit fear.
Somebody could be listening to you at all times.
SP:In your bathroom, in your house, in your smartphones.
The abuse of it is very creepy and questionable.
Just likeBlack Mirror,it seems like this is just around the corner for every town in America.
Its weird, but possible.
Should we expect anyPLLcameos or Rosewood flashbacks?JP:As of now, no.
Some people get mentioned, though.
SP:We dont even any get any flashbacks.
JP:I want some Parisians flashbacks!
SP:It would be really interesting to see Mary Drake come back.
Marlene and I have talked about that.
Not only because of Mona holding her captive but also because shes my aunt.
JP:Can we pitch this?
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
