As expected, the Pretty Little Liars finale threw fans for a loop. Wait, no, make that a dozen loops. Spoilers ahead. While the final episode was filled with twists and turns, the PLL A.D. reveal was so satisfying, even if you had already predicted it. And even if you *thought* you predicted it, there probably were a few aspects you could have never guessed. (Like, hello, that accent?)
So, here's how it went down: A.D. is Alex Drake, aka Spencer's identical evil twin, who teamed up with their mother Mary Drake to avenge their other sister Charlotte's death. She hid her British accent (and her love affair with Wren), just so she could try and take over her sister's life — and ruin it in the process. Her motives and her backstory are two aspects no one really knew prior to the finale.
While Twincer theories have been floating around for quite some time, no one knew exactly how it would play out. But, in my opinion, it's all the more satisfying that fans did see this coming, at least to an extent. Basically, that means that the clues add up, and it wasn't some plothole-filled reveal that left fans frustrated and scrambling for more answers. I'll never forget how annoyed I was at the Charlotte as A reveal, because it just felt way too far out of left field.
Another reason this reveal works is that twins have been a plot point ever since day one. Considering Sara Shepard's book series, which the show is based on, included twins, speculation surrounding who would have a secret sibling has lasted all seven seasons of the show. Personally, I was glad that the TV series didn't go the same way as the books and give Alison a twin. (In the books, she had an evil sister named Courtney.)
Making Spencer the one with the evil twin was a stroke of genius actually. Throughout the entire show, Spencer has had an ongoing rivalry with Melissa, who she thought was her biological sister. The fact that there's another relative out there competing with Spencer is all the more of a shock, since Melissa has long been an A.D. suspect. That's one plot that would've felt a little too obvious, plus Melissa wouldn't have had a strong motive really.
The Spencer/Twincer reveal flips everything fans thought they knew about the show on its head. Now, there's also the exciting prospect of going back, rewatching, and trying to guess which scenes are Alex and which are Spencer. In some ways, that lets the mystery live on.
And finally, the best part of the ending is that Mona gets the last laugh. There's one last twist to really leave fans intrigued and wondering how exactly it all fell into place.
