Alison DiLaurentis is headed to a new town for a new adventure without her four iconic friends, but there’s one larger question: Is the Alison we last saw interesting enough to lead her own series?

When we last saw Alison DiLaurentis on Pretty Little Liars, she had put her shady, nefarious exploits in her past as she settled down to live a happy, normal life with Emily Fields and their two children.

Article Continues Below

On Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists, Alison is leaving her cozy life in Rosewood for Beacon Heights, a town where the secrets are even more deadly than in Rosewood… and there’s even less privacy.

However, with the changes to the writing of Alison’s character after her return to the life of the living (from her two years as Rosewood’s missing/dead girl), it could potentially be troublesome if Alison, the lead character of this new series, doesn’t get a complete overhaul to fit her new life.

The troubled later years

Alison’s reintroduction to Rosewood on Pretty Little Liars was, well, anti-climatic. After the years of fans hoping Alison would actually be alive, the writers struggled to turn dreams into reality.

Alison’s character was incredibly shaky throughout season 5. What started as Alison attempting to convince the girls she was no longer the tortuous bitch they remembered turned into Alison proving exactly that. In order to keep her on the suspect list, Alison DiLaurentis was, once again, turned into the Queen Bee of Rosewood High.

However, the writers quickly changed directions and started to make Alison deliver on her promise of being a changed woman. Going to jail dramatically changed Alison and, when season 6 premiered, she was a completely different character. Flash-forward to five years later, Alison became the tame one of the group as she tried to put her life on track and support her family and friends.

Had the writers kept Alison DiLaurentis as the mean girl she was before she mysteriously vanished, she would have never fit into the series again. Alison couldn’t have gotten close to the four liars, nor could she have been intertwined with the overarching -A story.

Being “dead” meant Alison could get away with anything because she already had. The girls didn’t have the self-respect or courage to stand up to Alison before, but, as we saw, being hunted by -A had strengthened and empowered them. The girls were no longer willing to put up with Alison’s shit.

While the shift created a role for Alison on the show, it limited what the writers were able to do with her. Even in season 7, Alison’s less-than-perfect actions were drastically criticized by everyone, especially Emily. And it wasn’t as though her actions were the least bit interesting, either.

She was still a reformed bad girl doing yet another bad thing, but it couldn’t be interesting because the consequences were not impactful and she didn’t have the same power she did as a teenager. Alison’s appeal drifted away and her confidence dwindled, leaving her as a shell of the character she once was.

Moving forward

If Alison DiLaurentis is going to be an interesting lead on Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists, she can no longer be the “good girl” she was in the Pretty Little Liars series finale.

Alison’s appeal in the first few seasons of the series was her hold on people and her ability to learn everyone’s secrets. Alison was the most powerful person in Rosewood, which also made her the most hated person because of how she behaved.

The writing needs to tap into old Alison if she’s to successfully lead Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists to the success of the original. This spin-off is a chance for the writers to (finally) get Alison right.

Without Aria, Spencer, Emily, and Hanna, Alison is free to finally be herself. Hopefully, we’ll see Emily learn to love and accept Alison for exactly who she is on Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionsts (as Alison and Emily are married).

Alison was held back after her return to not overshadow the four girls with her very strong personality, but this is a chance to embrace her for everything she is and the skills she has learned over the years.

She also went through some very traumatic times, yet her trauma was never discussed or shown in quite the same light. How did years of being hunted by -A change Alison and her view on life?

With Mona by her side, perhaps Alison can tap back into the dark side that she’s been suppressing for more than half a decade of her life. If she can do this, and the writing allows Alison DiLaurentis to be a full, developed character, perhaps there’s hope yet for this leading lady.

Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists airs Wednesday, March 20 at 8 p.m. ET.