ABC FamilyIt's the end of An erA.
After six years, A's reign of TV terror ends tonight as Pretty Little Liars is set to reveal the identity of Aria (Lucy Hale), Hanna (Ashley Benson), Spencer (Troian Bellisario) and Emily's (Shay Mitchell) tormentor in the ABC Family hit's midseason finale. That's right, after seasons of endless suspects and speculation, we are finally getting answers. A lot of them.
Star Janel Parrish, whose character Mona was once part of the A-Team, told E! News the show will "give all the answers about why A did what A did and how A did what they did and my mind was like, ‘Whoa, finally!' It was amazing."
As one of TV's great whodunnits finally comes to an end, we can't help but wonder: Is A's identity TV's last great mystery?!
OK, hear us out...
Think about TV's most recent mysteries, and you'll see they kind of just pale in comparison. The reveal of Gossip Girl on Gossip Girl, a teen drama a la PLL, was hardly a factor throughout the series, with the outcome generating a whole lot of complaints in the series finale. (Dan? REALLY?!) The Killing? It disappointed fans more than it rained on the show. Plus, let's face it, Rosie Larsen was no Alison DiLaurentis.
Most recently, How to Get Away With Murder introduced a murder plot, promising fans from the very beginning they would be getting answers, which was a major part of the draw for fans, who tuned in partly because they knew they would get a return on their investment.
And as for series such as True Detective, American Horror Story, etc., they are telling one-season-and-done stories. Pretty Little Liars has sustained the interest in the identity—and backstory—of A for six years. SIX YEARS.
So while it wasn't always an easy trail to follow, we admire the breadcrumbs Pretty Little Liars left us along this six-year trek. They weren't always filling, but they were pretty darn delicious.
Pretty Little Liars' big A reveal is set to go down tonight at 8 p.m. on ABC Family. Make sure to leave your best A theories below in the comments!