Each week Terry and Joe discuss the most recent episodes of HBO Max’s Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin.

Spoilers follow for episodes 4 and 5.

CHAPTER 4: THE FE(MALE) GAZE

TERRY

You said in our recap of Chapter 3 that Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin has found its rhythm and episode 4 really cements that idea, Joe. While I would have liked a few more details set in 1999, “The Fe(Male) Gaze” really strikes a balance of character development, juicy mystery and more measured horror movie homages to create my favorite episode so far…mostly.

It opens in 1999 as teen Marjorie (Sarah-Anne Martinez) shares a cigarette with Angela (Gabriella Pizzolo) and when they’re caught, puts the blame squarely on Angela. She “makes” it up to her later by giving Angela a teddy bear wearing a “Best Friends 4 Ever” t-shirt. That same bear shows up in the present, a returned gift for adult Marjorie (Elena Goode), Noa (Maia Reficco)’s mom and, we learn, a nurse. This explains the reason why Noa took the rap for her mom’s drug issue and becomes a major part of episode 4’s storyline.

Another way this episode brings clarity to some characters is with Tabby (Chandler Kinney). Last week, we briefly discussed her scene with Wes (Derek Kelna) but I didn’t bring up a moment that confused me. When she’s on the couch, listening to Wes drone on about giallo and drinking wine, there’s a moment in which I thought she had been drugged. The camera goes wonky in a way that usually suggests someone has been drugged in film, and it’s the moment that sends her out of the house.

It happens again in this episode during the Psycho shoot, and Tabby needs a few minutes to collect herself and paces alone outside. She has flashbacks to what seems to be a bonfire party and has a similar reaction to her moment in Wes’s apartment. I realized then that she had a panic attack and that there’s something triggering about the presence/thought of sex/nudity. I’m guessing she had a bad encounter that has left her with PTSD.

The main part of the narrative jumps forward two weeks to the end of detention - which coincides with the removal of Noa’s ankle bracelet. We learn that the mysterious A hasn’t contacted them, but Imogen (Bailee Madison) is still obsessed with figuring out the link between their mothers, the events in 1999 and what’s happening today.

I’ll be honest, I haven’t really liked Imogen. I actually find her very annoying sometimes, and this episode really brought clarity on why I’ve been bothered by her. For one, Madison’s performance is sometimes so incredibly over-the-top that it verges into farce. And her character is often written to be very childish. The two come together in “The Fe(Male) Gaze” and solidifies my issues with her, as she 1) lashes out at Tabby’s mom Sidney (Sharon Leal), the person who’s given her a home after her mother’s death, 2) ruins plans to sell the house and 3) wanders around the house, looking for her mother’s journals in such a performative manner that it feels like “ACTING!” and not “acting.”

As the main character, she is ironically the least interesting and the most over-the-top character, particularly when she’s given an actor’s reel moment to cry in frustration about her dead mother while playing with a knock-off Ouija board and goes ten notches too far in her performance.

It’s a bit cringe.

But the Ouija board moment is a way in which “The Fe(Male) Gaze” manages to subtly work in genre homages that doesn’t involve Tabby saying things like, in episode 3, “Forget Pet Sematary, that’s some Hereditary-level shit.” Original Sin has obliquely referenced De Palma and we get more of that in episode 4, not only with the continued use of split diopters, even in scenes that don’t need them (like Noa snooping through her mom’s purse), but also referencing twin horror like Sisters (among many other, non-De Palma choices) and sneaking in Psycho in a more narrative-appropriate setting.

The latter instance occurs in film class when Tabby and Chip (Carson Rowland) work on a project where they have to remake a scene from Mr Smithee (Jeffrey Bean)’s “approved list of films” and pitch it to their class. So Tabby wants to film Psycho’s infamous shower scene, with a gender flip and “free of the transphobic panic.” Her cast comes together with Faran (Zaria) and Greg (Elias Kacavas), the ex-boyfriend of Karen (Mallory Bechtel).

It’s here that I want to know your thoughts, Joe. We’ve had Tabby secretly filming naked boys in the locker room (the fact no one has found her poorly hidden camera is wild to me) to not-so-secretly filming naked boys in the film. What did you think about this Psycho remake scene and the way it attempts to reframe the voyeurism inherent in a lot of slashers? Last week, I mentioned that maybe you shouldn’t drop your line of Karen questioning and I was curious if Faran’s discovery and “Kelly”’s change of demeanor worked for you? Are you ready to re-question the twins? And what did you think of Noa’s slasher moment at the end of the episode and A’s ability to use her against her mom?

JOE

Terry, there’s a mention of gaslighting and microaggression in this episode and I felt like writers Eleanor Jean and Jenina Kibuka were calling me out because Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin has been doing just *that* to me with this Karen/Kelly plotline. It’s now completely obvious that my episode two suspicions that Karen swapped places with her dead twin are true, but the show confused me enough in episode three that I walked it back. Shame on you for making me doubt myself, show!

Yeah, so Faran is definitely onto Karen after the twin makes a few rookie mistakes (switching lockers, wearing the dead twin’s leotard and literally using the same dialogue about Faran being a queen). To help her uncover the truth, Faran manages to rope in love interest Henry (Ben Cook), which is kinda nice? Faran is definitely the most curt of our Liars (she’s usually pretty quick to jump ship when a plan starts to fall apart) so this gives the character something new to do. With that said, I’m legit dreading the inevitable Suspiria homage we’re going to get since this series can’t resist obvious tips of the hat.

Like the Carrie stuff, the Psycho content here was justified reasonably well and didn’t overstay its welcome, so it was fine. With that said, I definitely questioned Tabby’s arguments about misogyny in horror and the need for a female gaze because that hasn’t been true in a very long time. PLL:OS writers have been leaning really heavily on “classic” horror references with only the occasional reference to contemporary films, but this kind of “horror isn’t feminist” rationale is irksome considering the gains female horror creatives have made in the last 5-10 years. I’d love to retire the tired argument about the male gaze in horror (also: do you actually mean slashers, Tabby?) and celebrate the great work the genre is doing instead.

With that said, Tabby’s decision to get Greg to play her murder victim was…suspect. She seemed genuinely surprised when he showed up on set naked, despite the fact that he’s repeatedly shown he’s crude and sexist (did she forget that Imogen’s friendship with Karen was literally ruined because of Greg? Or was it just the writers who forgot?). This all felt a little too convenient; unfortunately her plan doesn’t pay off because - as you’ve alluded - Tabby has a panic attack mid-filming and Chip has to finish the shoot.

I’ll confess that my mind immediately went to sexual assault. The bonfire flashback isn’t explicit, but Tabby’s association with men, sex and fear/panic is a pretty clear shorthand that she may have been roofied and assaulted. I imagine we’ll get some clarity in the coming episodes as she processes (or remembers) her trauma, but I’m glad for Tabby to have something more to do than make inane movie references. (The moment when she literally used a line from Child’s Play to reassure Imogen after the pregnant girl’s Ouija outburst was my cringe moment, Terry. I nearly threw my computer across the room in exasperation).

As for our lead, your issues with Imogen are completely well-founded. I’ve cut Madison some slack because the actress is saddled with a sad (and also kinda dull) character arc. Plus it’s tough to be the “straight” protagonist who’s required to hold the series together. Still, the acting here is undeniably rough. The outburst about mom could have had some decent emotional weight, but it winds up playing like a petulant child having a tantrum. Ditto Imogen’s actions at her old house and her sparring match with Sidney, which escalates too far, too fast.

Despite several disappointing character beats in “The (Fe)Male Gaze,” it’s hard not to give kudos to Pretty Little Liars for incorporating a full blown slasher chase sequence, Terry! I friggin’ loved Noa’s escape from A - from the reverse dolly down the hallway as she runs, to Noa’s near misses on the fire escape and when she has to doubleback, leading into the big pay-off when she leaps across to the building next door. Did I find it odd that her beeping ankle monitor didn’t concern Sheriff Beasley (Eric Johnson) considering he just warned her about stepping out of line? Sure…but it’s more interesting to focus on the fact that Noa finally turned in her addict mother.

So A has made their next big move and the girls know that a two week absence doesn’t mean their problems are over. I’m curious to see if the series will keep the stakes small and focused (Faran’s investigation of “Kelly”; Imogen tracking down the missing diary pages) or if the show will go big with another murder sequence. I’m predicting the latter; after all, it’s nearly Halloween…

“Chapter Five: The Night He Came Home”

Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin read my predictions and thought “why not both?” The Halloween (film and calendar event) themed episode advanced the plot in multiple ways, while also introducing a perplexing backstory for Mouse that has me very confused.

Let’s catch up on the investigations: Faran gets proof that Karen may be impersonating Kelly, but after being warned off by Mme. Giry that Kelly is secretly a cutter, she backs off…then barrels ahead when she catches the girl kissing Greg.

This ultimately costs Faran the lead in the ballet and seemingly confirms that Kelly is, in fact, actually Kelly (unless the show is gaslighting us again with that scene between Kelly and her mom? Terry, I’m so tired…)

Meanwhile Imogen’s quest for info on Angela and their moms turns up a lead when she gets a call from a mysterious man (She doesn’t ask for his name because…plot shenanigans?). Otherwise this storyline is a non-starter because Imogen has decided to try and save her house by throwing her first - and only - high school rager.

The party itself looks fun, though in order to turn a profit, the girls are required to invite the football team, which means both Greg and Tyler are lurking about in midriff baring Smurf costumes, hitting on Faran (who has no time for it) and Mouse (who also stands up for herself). While we don’t get any kind of real insight into Tabby, her clear sexual assault trauma prompts her to yell and hit Tyler. It’s pretty satisfying, especially when he’s dropping phrases like “feminazi,” “angry black girl,” “homo” and the R slur.

Thankfully he gets killed shortly thereafter in a combination Halloween/Psycho homage in the off-limits bathroom, which proves that A is really strong if they can lift a high school boy a foot off the ground and strangle him to death. Bonus points for the metal version of “Monster Mash,” although playing “Mr. Sandman” when A carries the body to their van is a too-obvious Halloween reference.

But Terry, I’d like to zero in on Mouse, whose backstory finally gets a bit more detail. We see her assume the role of a missing girl named “Rachel Bowers” for a much older man named Steve that she’s been chatting with online. Initially I thought that this was a kind of “To Catch A Predator” thing because Mouse is obscuring her face on-camera. Then when she meets Steve for dinner (seemingly in his motel?) and even consoles him in his car after calling him Dad, I wondered if Mouse is doing some kind of grief treatment role play? I’ll confess that I don’t fully get it, though clearly it’s tied into her own trauma, which she raises with her mom after the all-night party. Mouse complains that she’s being punished for what happened, but “He’s gone and he’s never coming back.”

It seems to me that we’re not meant to know exactly what’s going on here, but this is more odd than any of the other dangling plot threads involving Kelly/Karen or Tabby’s sexual assault. I genuinely didn’t get it, though I’m sure all will be revealed eventually. It’s just an extremely odd way of delving into this character’s backstory.

Terry, I’ll turn it over to you: do you have insight into Mouse’s backstory? Did you like her gummy-infused make-out with Ash? How did Tabby’s story, including confronting both Tyler and Orpheum Manager Wes, play for you? And were you surprised by Imogen’s cliffhanger line that something happened to her at the summer bonfire, as well?

TERRY

I was actually hoping you’d have insight into Mouse’s story, Joe, because I’m also at a loss. Like you, I thought she was doing her own sleuthing to catch some killer/child predator particularly because she has the missing flyer when she talks to Steve. It’s a sequence that seems incredibly ominous and I’m not sure what exactly is going on.

It’s possible that there were some kidnapped kids and she’s attempting to do some sleuthing. It’s possible that she was friends with Rachel or something, though it’s odd that she picks up the missing flyer as if she’s going through casework. Regardless, the whole sequence made me feel icky because no matter why she’s doing it, this isn’t the way for Steve to heal (if that’s even what this is about).

I’m guessing it’s tied to whatever trauma happened in the past, as you suggested. Was the “he” she mentioned a brother? A father? We know she has a mom she likes and another she hates, sinceone mom is named “Momster” in her phone (she even blocks her at one point). Is the “momster” a stepmother and her biological mother was in a previous relationship with a man? Is she using these meetings with Steve to cope with losing a father? So many questions, Joe! Keeping with Mouse for a moment, seeing them together has been one of the better parts of the side stories. Their romance feels natural and not forced, unlike the Faran/Henry romance that just lacks any sort of chemistry.

As for Tabby and Imogen, something happened at the bonfire and I’m guessing that this is why Imogen is pregnant. We haven’t heard who the father is, outside of the fact he’s not in the picture. Were Tabby and Imogen both sexually assaulted at this bonfire? I’m happy to see Tabby begin standing up for herself. When she was first introduced and dealing with Wes’s uncomfortable and unprofessional (and manipulative and grooming-like) behavior, she seemed a bit meek. But ever since then, we’ve seen her either confront the problematic men in her life or out-manipulate and maneuver them. Tyler deserved a good punch and I’m glad Tabby was there to “Sidney” him (bam, bitch went down; bam, Tabby: super bitch).

I still find it hilarious that “A” has lairs spread all over the place. It seems kind of counter-intuitive since each additional lair opens them up to being discovered and yet we’ve seen him lurking around Angela’s shrine, the high school’s janitorial area (I think?) and, for some reason, keeping a trunk of memorabilia in Imogen’s old home. The trunk contained the teddy bear that Angela had, as well as two pumpkin masks–a callback to the opening of the episode. I’m still in the dark about “A”’s intent. It seemed very meaningful that the episode shows us they’re watching the interaction between Faran and Kelly about Kelly’s Karenness. And when they see the altercation between the PLLs and Tyler, they go up and kill Tyler.

Is their MO to focus solely on bullies?

We’re halfway through the season and I feel like we have more questions than answers still. Hopefully we’ll start bowling through those questions next week when we go back to Queer.Horror.Movies to tackle Chapters 6 and 7, “Scars” and “Carnival of Souls.”