Pretty Little Liars is a show that truly can appeal to the Millennial desire. It is a show that combines the sex appeal of good looking girls with the mystery of an alleged murder and it uses technology to link everyone together. The text messages that the main girls receive from their missing friend Allison throw everyone into shock and fear. Technology is used to mask ones true identity and even though as a viewer I was uncertain if it truly was Allison sending these messages, the main characters believed it to be her. Technology allows us to conceal our identity, but the content of our speech still identifies us.
There are many parallels that can be drawn between the narrative of Pretty Little Liars and that of Veronica Mars. Both shows incorporate a crime that is referenced primarily through flashbacks. In Veronica Mars this is referencing both lilly’s murder as well as Veronica’s rape. In Pretty Little Liars Allison’s disappearance, alleged murder, and now reappearance through digital communication dominates the story line. In both of these shows a previous murder is the motor behind the plot line. They both take strong female characters and face them with adversity while still having them deal with everyday to be expected problems.
In Veronica Mars we still see Veronica navigating throughout high school. She has to deal with the normal clicks and pressures that any high schooler would. It is interesting to note that in both Veronica Mars as well as Pretty Little Liars the murder caused a rift in friendships. In Veronica Mars, Lilly’s murder and the investigation that ensued tore Veronica from her friend group. She was looked down upon and made an outcast. In Pretty Little Liars the incident caused a major fracture in the friendship of the girls. Aria was even forced to move away with her family for a year and upon her return she didn’t call her friends. She claimed that they weren’t friends anymore.
It is clear in both shows that friendships can be hampered by major events, but in the end it seems as if true emotions will endure. In Veronica Mars she will get back with Lilly’s brother Duncan Kane and in Pretty Little Liars at the end of the pilot episode it becomes apparent that the bond between Spencer, Hanna, Aria, and Emily will need to be strengthened if they are to figure out what happened to their friend.
Professor Stein’s interpretation of the complexities of Pretty Little Liars in her article “From Veronica Mars to Pretty Little Liars” brings up a major concern after the pilot. The show has done a great job in establishing strong female characters that have a task in front of them. They are tempted by shop lifting and boys. They have unique relationships with their parents, but they will need to bond together to solve the mystery. I am hopeful that these girls will be able to accomplish this task by themselves rather than looking outside for help. I hope this becomes the case as the series progresses.