Pretty Little Liars type TV Show network Freeform genre Drama

Two secrets and a death. That’s the Pretty Little Liars version of two truths and a lie. It’s also what fans can expect from the season 7 summer finale. “One of the Liars’ life will change drastically after a certain reveal is exposed,” says showrunner Marlene King, before adding, “There are two big emotional game changers for multiple liars.”

Heading into this finale, King knew that they weren’t going to reveal the identity of Mary Drake’s second child just yet — although we know it’s a familiar face — but she also knew she wanted to end on a big note. “I wanted to do something different from anything we’ve ever done in terms of what that big set piece is — where do those big climactic suspenseful endings take place? — so that’s where I started,” she says. “Also, one of the goals was to really ramp us up for these next 10 [episodes]. How do we end these summer [episodes] and also give us a starting point for the next 10 episodes.”

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That being said, King has also teased that three sets of shippers will be very happy with this finale. “It definitely walks that line between great romance and great thrills,” King says. “That’s one of the things I’m most proud of about the show is that we can pull that off within one episode.”

The Pretty Little Liars season 7 summer finale airs Tuesday, Aug. 30 at 8 p.m. ET on Freeform. It was announced on Monday that season 7 will mark the end of the series, with the final episodes airing in 2017.

A version of this story appears in the new issue of Entertainment Weekly, on newsstands now and available here. Don’t forget to subscribe for exclusive interviews and photos, only in EW.