bellealec Reviews

Famous in Love (2017–2018)

Nothing like Pretty Little Liars, which makes it great

[8/10 · 26 April 2017]

As a huge fan of Marlene King's "Pretty Little Liars" series, I wasn't sure what to expect when approaching "Famous In Love." I knew it would be an entirely different genre, and that's what makes it so great.

The show follows Paige Townsen through her journey into the spotlight, but oddly, she does not always feel like the main character. Rainer, her co-star and love interest, seems to have more interesting story lines than she does as times, despite not being the lead. Paige's two best friends, Jake and Cassie, both have extremely different, yet similar, personalities, and whereas Cassie's frustration with her best friend at times is understandable, Jake comes across as shallow, especially when all his friends want to do is help.

As the series progresses, the stories and characters grow to become likable, all except Jake, which is my only complaint considering he's in it as much as he is. There seems to be no sort of character development, and the writers constantly have him walking around shirtless, which is completely cringe-worthy. Even Rainer, the famous one, doesn't do that.

Overall, Famous in Love is an unsurprisingly good new show by Marlene King and I hope that it continues to stick around for years to come.

Pretty Little Liars: Of Late I Think of Rosewood (2016) Season 6, Episode 11

A wonderful beginning to a new mystery.

[10/10 · 16 January 2016]

Pretty Little Liars is a show that has been dominating ABC Family for quite a few years. With high ratings, trends on Twitter and Facebook alike, and several false and true A reveals, we've finally uncovered the identity of A. Moving 5 years into the future to see what our Liars are up to, as well as facing a new threat greater than ever, Pretty Little Liars unravels a new mystery that will surely pull long- lasting fans into another round of mystery, drama, and of course, murder.

5 years have passed and the Liars are living A-free lives. Spencer is working as a lobbyist, Hanna is in fashion, Emily's slightly lost after the death of her father, and Aria is working at a publishing company. All assuming that A is gone from their lives for good, Alison invites them back to Rosewood, the place where all their trouble began, to help get A released from the psychiatric hospital she's been in the last few years. Hesitant, the girls come anyway to help their friends, leading them into a mystery they never could have anticipated.

At the end of the episode, Hanna says, "I want to go home," where Spencer replies, "We are home."

Many fans who gave up the show after the mid-season finale should give this new mystery a chance, in hopes that some older mysteries will still be solved. With all of our big questions answered, we can finally move forward to fill in the holes, as well as relish in a new story that will surely capture the attention of fans who've been around since the beginning.

The episode feels like a new beginning, and parallels the pilot in many ways. Through some laughs, broken hearts, and I'll admit, a few tears, I am looking forward to seeing the final 29 episodes of Pretty Little Liars.