Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin is a ride to follow compared to the first show. The new spin-off to the franchise morphs the genre from plain drama to a slasher mystery. It captures the heart of the original show, but also creates a new, unique, and captivating plot on its own. Original Sin is a series that keeps watchers drawn in from the beginning to the very end of the season finale.

The show starts with a flashback to a party 22 years prior where tragedy strikes and a girl ends up dead. It flips to the main character, Imogen, whose mom suddenly passes. Her mother was supportive of her and didn’t seem off until she randomly received a threatening letter, so she starts to get suspicious of her death. Imogen then gets her best friend, Tabby, to join in and begins to see the mystery play out.

As the show continues, the cast grows too. Each character has their faults within them; a parallel to the original show. The Liars try to help Imogen find out what happened to her mom while they all struggle with another issue: A.

A, an anonymous and murderous stalker, haunts the girls with the knowledge of their secrets and lies to have them do their bidding – which usually is to target or hurt their mothers. A’s motive is to simply get revenge for the death of the girl from the party, in which their mothers have huge roles in the girl’s passing.

Throughout the show, it cuts to flashbacks of their mothers committing heinous crimes or pranks on the girl with no remorse. Their mothers regret what they did, but they didn’t fully own up to their awful actions. Though with A’s doing, they’re forced to face their past and lies they have told to their children.

Unlike Pretty Little Liars, A isn’t afraid to try to kill. A taunts them with constant chases, murder attempts, and detrimental threats. A finds ways to make the girls pay for what their mothers did years ago. Although, it’s almost like A still pities the girls as they also help the liars with what issues (or people) they face. As much as A reaps havoc on their lives, A still finds a way to get justice for all.

The story keeps watchers drawn in with each girl’s lies being warped into their mother’s fibs. From unorthodox kidnapping to unsolicited medical procedures, it shows how messed up their moms truly still are. It’s haunting in itself for the realistic trauma and dysfunctional families from how far-fetched their lives are.

Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin takes the Pretty Little Liars outline and shapes it into a well-formed story that uses its other genres into an interesting concept. It grasps at more than just a slasher mystery drama – it shows how awful and cruel people can be. From the corrupt sheriff to the disgusting people who hurt The Liars, it’s a story watchers excitedly await to see grow in future seasons.