The Cast and Creatives of Pretty Little Liars: Summer School on Coming of Age in a Slasher Sequel

We caught up with Pretty Little Liars: Summer School cast members Bailee Madison, Malia Pyles, Maia Reficco, Mallory Bechtel, Zaria, and Annabeth Gish, as well as creators & showrunners Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Lindsay Calhoon Bring for a conversation on the camp and coming of age revelations of Season 2. Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Lindsay Calhoon Bring watched iconic slasher sequels such as Halloween II and Friday the 13th Part 2 in preparation for writing this installment of the series, and were excited to bring tropes like “the final girl” to the show.  Though as Roberto noted, in the PLL universe, they are all “the final girl,” each with an epic horror-set-piece chase-scene!

Having gone through both collective and personal traumas in Season 1, the cast agreed that their characters all found inner strength in their own ways this season. Bailee Madison’s Imogen dealt with imposter syndrome having recently placed her baby for adoption, not sure if she is “allowed” to have fun like her peers. Malia Pyle’s Mouse and Maia Reficco’s Noa both found their voices, with Mouse’s personality blooming in tandem with her costuming, and Noa learning to defend herself and those she loves. Conversely, Zaria’s Faran and Mallory Bechtel’s Kelly both experienced a different kind of growth this season: Fara “had to break down in order to evolve” while Kelly “put on a brave face” even though her world is crumbling. Annabeth Gish, who plays Anne Sullivan, expressed the professional and personal joy of being a “mother hen” figure to “these wonderful talents and dynamic women,” noting that holding space for their characters on-screen was just as fun.

Watch the full conversation below.

Following the harrowing events of Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, our Pretty Little Liars face a fate worse than death - summer school. However, Millwood High isn’t the only thing getting in the way of their fun summer jobs and new, dreamy love interests. A new villain, who may or may not have a connection to A, has come to town and is going to put them all to the test.