Get excited PLL fans, you'll be getting the second half of the sixth season in less than four months. During a panel discussion at New York Comic Con — which included the show’s five leads, creator Marlene King, as well as writers Oliver Goldstick and Joseph Dougherty — Pretty Little Liars announced their mid-season season six premiere date: January 12th. And for the impatient PLL fan, there will be an episode airing in 2015—on November 24. The network will air a special that will aim to fill in some of the gaps created by the five year time jump between the end of the first half of season six and the second half.
So where are the Liars in five years? During the panel, the first four minutes of the season six mid-season premiere was shown, revealing plenty of surprises and twists for the gang. First off, Alison is back at high school, as an English teacher. Sasha Pieterse admitted she was surprised Allie became an educator, but explained, "The more I play her, the more I get it." King described this latest incarnation of Allie as, "the teacher you always wanted."
The episode sees Aria in line for Ezra's book, but it isn't clear whether she's there as a curious reader, supportive friend, or devoted girlfriend. Lucy Hale explained that while she expected Aria to make a career out of photography, she actually became a publisher.
The biggest fake out comes from Hanna's flash-forward moment. She's chilling on a plane with an adorable (and very blond) baby, but the audience barely had time to coo before the baby's real mother thanked Hanna for watching her. Hanna's days are actually dedicated to the fashion world in NYC.
Spencer isn't on screen for long, but it's obvious she's making a life for herself in Washington, D.C., while Emily is working as a bartender in what looks like a gorgeous, vaguely tropical locale. Despite all of this, it’s pretty clear that letters from Allison are going to draw all the girls back to Rosewood.
King explained the five-year time jump makes sense because, "the girls were really ready to play their own ages." And Dougherty described the possibilities the time jump has opened up for the writers as being "liberated from high school."
While most of the actresses seemed excited by the future of their character, Mitchell noted that those years hadn't been kind to Emily, saying, "Of all the girls, her time away is the hardest. She goes through some things in those five years."
King offered some vague hints of her own, saying that while some secrets will be revealed in season six, there are some questions fans will have to wait until season seven to get answers to.
The time jump obviously has the liars (and the fans) excited. As Pieterse explained, "It's a totally different show, in the best way."
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT