Pretty Little Liars is the kind of show that you have to watch over and over again, not because it’s particularly well-written or memorable but because it is so damn frustrating to have Marlene King pull the wool over viewers’ eyes season after season. After I go back and re-watch seasons of Pretty Little Liars on Netflix, I realize all of the Easter eggs that she lays throughout the season, all of which add up to an eventual big reveal. That’s why I’m so excited for Season 5 of Pretty Little Liars to hit Netflix: Though there’s not an exact date yet, the next season available for streaming usually hits Netflix around the time the new season is premiering on ABC Family. With that in mind, I’d bet Aria’s biggest pair of feather earrings that you can expect to see Season 5 hit streaming sometime in June. Update: A representative for Netflix exclusively confirmed to Bustle that Pretty Little Liars Season 5 will begin streaming on June 10. Update 2: According to the Netflix representative, PLL Season 5 will now debut on Netflix on June 2.
Season 5 really packed ten pounds of PLL crazy into a five-pound bag, didn’t it? There will be spoilers from this point on, so if you don’t want Pretty Little Liars Season 5 ruined for you, I would avoid the Internet (including the rest of this article) for the next three months. Are you gone? Good. Anyway, from Ezra’s recovery after being shot to the eventual Charles DiLaurentis A reveal, there are plenty of moments from this season that I have to watch again. I’m watching you, Marlene — watching and waiting for clues. Here are my top picks:
Ezra Fights For His Life
Technically, Ezra was shot at the end of Season 4, but his recovery takes place at the very beginning of Season 5. I am a vocal supporter of Ian Harding but not the character he plays, and so I very much wish that Ezra had just croaked and left us all well enough alone. I would rather have Aria with potential psycho killer Andrew than with Ezra, and that’s really saying something. Ezra is every guy I went to graduate school with: Put the book down, Ezra. Quoting Kafka isn’t cool if you’re not in school (and barely when you are).
Zack Hits On Hanna
I want to relive this scene for the times in which I need to fly into a murderous rage. Not only is ready-to-marry-Ella-Montgomery Zack so inappropriate and gross with Hanna when he hits on her, but Aria chooses to totally victim blame her friend in this situation. Not cool, Aria. None of this is Hanna’s fault, and for Hanna to even doubt herself is so sad. Eventually, all is revealed to Ella about Zack’s penchant for hitting on underage girls, and Ella admits that he’s done this before. Umm, talk about a bullet dodged. Wow.
Mona Is Murdered… But Not Really
You knew that the Pretty Little Liars prop staff was saving up all of the fake blood for this scene. Mona’s murder is important to Season 5 in an infinite number of ways: It introduces Mike Montgomery as a potential evil player, it gives the girls something to investigate (and get into even more trouble), and it lays the groundwork for Ali to eventually be convicted of murder (which I’ll get to in a minute). Though we see Mona’s dead body in the trunk of a car, she’s really alive, hanging out as Ali in Charles’ dollhouse. Neat.
Ali’s Trial Gets Dark
Who would have thought that a 16-year-old girl could get convicted of a murder with nearly no physical evidence and an alarmingly large amount of police misconduct? In Rosewood, that’s just another day of policing, folks. Ali’s murder conviction truly separates her from the rest of the girls. They are both in literal cages, but isolating Ali from the liars is bound to have major repercussions in the final two seasons. I’m especially interested to go back and see what hints have been dropped here.
Charles DiLaurentis Is Revealed
At the end of Season 5 we learned that A (or one of the As, or some of the As, I don’t even know anymore) is Charles DiLaurentis. Who is Charles DiLaurentis? Well, he’s definitely Jason’s twin brother, seven years older than the liars, and hella scary, since he set up a whole underground dollhouse lair in which to hold the girls. There are many theories floating about the Andrew, Aria’s new beau, is Charles, but I’m just not buying it.
Everyone Wears Underwear For Christmas
My need to relive this moment is one part attraction, one part disgust. Mix in a bit of “gosh, this is awkward,” and you have all of the liars’ beaus Brady Bunch-ing it down the staircase in Santa Claus boxers (plus a tank in Paige's case). What costumed sexy outfit will Marlene King think of next? I’m thinking just Easter eggs covering the naughty bits next spring…
I’ll have to wait until this summer to catch up on my favorite Pretty Little Liars Season 5 moments, but for now, there are always my dreams (and plenty of GIFs to keep me company). And, in the meantime, tide yourself over by hearing the latest Pretty Little Liars theories on Bustle's podcast, "Taking This One To The Grave."
Images: Eric McCandless/ABC Family; Giphy (6)
