Pretty Little Liars - What I've Learnt from Binge-Watching 5 Seasons (SPOILERS)

Tonight, my friends, is a very important night. Finally, after 120 episodes of intrigue, it seems that we are going to discover the identity of A - the man/woman/thing/team responsible for torturing our favourite Rosewood girls for five whole seasons. Spencer, Aria, Emily and Hanna have been well and truly through the mill, and we've been along for the ride. So, in honour of the big "A" reveal, I decided to put together a little post talking through my experience of watching the show, and the thoughts that popped into my head along the way.

My PLL viewing experience has been my most extreme example of binge-watching. I have consumed all five seasons in less than two months, which, quite frankly, should be shocking. The thing is, though, it actually isn't shocking at all. I've seen on twitter that lots of other people have been doing exactly the same thing since the show hit UK Netflix back in January. It is absolutely addictive viewing, and no matter how many times you tell yourself "I should go to sleep", there always seems to be time for one more episode. The need to find out who A is is just too overpowering!

This post is full to the brim of spoilers by the way. Spoilers spanning every season!! So, if you haven't watched the show and you click that little read more button, don't say I didn't warn you!

The first and most important rule of PLL viewing is to completely suspend your disbelief. If you don't, you won't be able to get through half an episode without saying "but that couldn't really happen". So accept what you're seeing, and enjoy!

I actually love all four of the main characters.

However, if I had to choose, I have so much love for Spencer Hastings - I'm not sure why, but I was instantly drawn to her. She has this real vulnerability hidden underneath her confidence and intelligence, which is something I really love in a character. I like that all of the girls' flaws are actively explored - none of them are perfect. Which, I guess, is the point of the whole "never trust a pretty girl with an ugly secret" tagline!

Speaking of Spencer, Troian Bellisario has to be the youngest looking almost thirty year old on television, yes?!

Halloween/Christmas episodes are guaranteed to be amazing. And particularly creepy.

Given enough time, absolutely anyone can start to look suspicious. Your boyfriend/girlfriend, your parents, your siblings, your teachers, your friends - no-one is immune!

You will say "Right, this is ridiculous, call the police" approximately three times per episode for the first two seasons.

You then learn to accept it's probably best not to bother trusting the police, or any other human being ever again.

Sometimes, something will happen that makes absolutely no sense and will never be explained, and you just have to be cool with it. Like that time Wren became evil for five minutes and got Spencer's mum taken off Ashley Marin's case for no apparent reason. Even if he was secretly seeing Melissa again at this point, that makes no sense, since neither Melissa nor Spencer had anything to do with Wilden's death. And if that wasn't the case, that would suggest he was working for A (or, CeCe), which has never been referenced again since. Plus, I choose to believe those gorgeous puppy dog eye looks and romantic chats he had with Spencer were genuine, okay?!

Or there was that time Ezra was dressed in a gas mask and left Hanna locked in a phone booth. Okay, so we know he was panicked that Aria would find out he was spying on them all, but seriously?

Additionally, the fact that Wren and Melissa are back together makes no sense - apparently she doesn't mind continually going back to guys who have fallen for her sister while engaged to her.

Someone can start off looking okay, and then turn out to be a complete babe. I'm looking at you, Caleb Rivers.

Others are just complete babes from day one, and should not be allowed to be so attractive. #WrenKingston

Whatever the occasion, Aria Montgomery's wardrobe is perfect.

Sometimes, the (initially) most unexpected of couples are the cutest. #SpencerandToby

Watching the show just before you go to sleep is a terrible idea. The torment in PLL is so relentless, that it will find its way into your subconscious and leave you having really disturbing dreams...

...but you'll still do it again the following night.

Forget "all roads lead to Rome", in PLL, all roads lead to Radley. Every. Single. Time.

Any time a doll appears, you instantly prepare to be creeped out.

Moments which properly blew my mind included the Mona reveal, and seeing Ezra in that apartment in Ravenswood. Moments which made me happy were the Spencer and Toby reunion in season 4, and the cute Christmas dinner in season 5... y'know, before A went and ruined it.

This is an ABC Family Show, yet it includes scenes like the recent episode when Hanna tracks down Holbrook's family, and then finds the college teddy she left in her car filled with animal guts. Family friendly viewing?! I think not.

Regardless of what happens now, Alison DiLaurentis behaved appallingly, and while I hope A gets what is coming to them, I struggled to have any sympathy for her until that last episode.

The soundtrack to every episode is perfect.

What I really like about the show is that, Alison aside, these girls actually are really good, loyal friends to each other. It isn't like in Gossip Girl, where Blair and Serena fall out every five minutes - these four stick together, support each other, and even at times when A has tried to pit them against one another, they've never taken the bait. Alison brought them together as her gang to manipulate, but without her, these girls seem to have a really genuine friendship, which is nice to see!

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Who knows what will happen next for the Liars, but one thing is for sure - no matter what happens tonight, I'm going to be having severe withdrawal symptoms! I'm going to be filming a "reacting to" the finale video, so look out for that on my channel soon!

What have some of your favourite moments been over the past five seasons? :)