Welcome to Millwood, finally. The wait for HBO Max’s Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, an offshoot of Freeform’s ever-popular Pretty Little Liars from Riverdale creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, has felt like an eternity — and given us a ridiculous amount of time to speculate about how this spin-off may compare to the iconic original that captivated viewers. With all the hints and teasers about the characters, the mysteries, and how Millwood differs from Rosewood, it’s been impossible to know whether this spin-off would shine like the original series or miss the mark, like the other two (failed) spin-offs we’ve seen over the years — Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists and Ravenswood. As a diehard fan of the original series who watched every episode live, I was very pleasantly surprised after watching the first five episodes provided for review. It’s clear that the mysteries have enough potential to carry the show onward for multiple seasons.

Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin follows Imogen Adams (Bailee Madison), Tabitha “Tabby” Haworthe (Chandler Kinney), Noa Olivar (Maia Reficco), Faran Bryant (Zaria), and Minnie “Mouse” Honrada (Malia Pyles) in small-town Pennsylvania as they become the target of a new villain: The infamous “A.” While being hunted by their masked foe, the new Liars deal with their own explosive and unbelievable secrets, which begin to pile up. And, to make matters even more complicated, they become aware of a long-forgotten incident in Millwood history that shifted the dynamics in town and has haunted those within it for decades: The death of Angela Waters (Gabriella Pizollo). Unbeknownst to these girls, their mothers — a group of high school best friends, reminiscent of the group from the original before Alison (Sasha Pieterse) disappeared — are connected to this mysterious girl’s death, which begins to unfold at a Y2K party to open the series. While each mystery is fascinating, it’s the simple exploration by our new Liars (namely, Imogen) of how everything is or isn’t connected that is the most captivating.

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Image via HBO Max

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It’s important to note that, as of now, Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin is entirely unrelated to the stories of Aria (Lucy Hale), Hanna (Ashley Benson), Emily (Shay Mitchell), and Spencer (Troian Bellisario). However, like the original, the show is centered around the Liars’ friendship. The biggest difference between these two groups is that the girls on Original Sin are not already friends when the series begins. Imogen and Tabby are the exceptions because their mothers are still close, though the rest of their mothers have seemingly fallen out of touch with each other because of the ghosts that haunt them. There is no pre-existing group dynamic, leaving us to watch it blossom with some help from a classic mean girl to push them together: Karen Beasley (Mallory Bechtel).

Each of these new Liars is traumatized by something that has happened in their past, which is showcased primarily through some of the questionable decisions they make over the first few episodes. In comparison to the original Liars, these new girls are harboring some darker, deeply twisted secrets. However, the biggest issue with this spin-off is that there are too many mysteries. Pretty Little Liars introduced us to the four Liars by revealing their life-changing secrets off the bat, like Aria struggling with keeping her father’s affair a secret from her mother and Emily hiding her sexuality. Original Sin takes a different route, which hurts the show and our ability to connect with the new Liars. Their secrets are kept hidden, even from the audience, not allowing us to understand their backgrounds and motivations. Even after five episodes, there’s only one of the new Liars that it feels like we can fully understand.

The enormous roster of supporting characters doesn’t help either, as the series is so focused on developing those outside the group to make the mysteries work that we aren’t seeing nearly enough of the Liars. Most of their time is spent alone or together as a group for the sake of the story, but their individual friendships with one another are practically non-existent — aside from Imogen and Tabby, which is an aspect that helped the original series shine and cannot be ignored. The Liars’ friendship in the original series entirely stemmed from the brilliant introduction and development in the first 10 episodes that set the tone for the show and kept it going when the mysteries continued to disappoint or became far too convoluted. This is a real possibility for Original Sin as well if their integral mysteries last multiple seasons. In short, the series needs to focus much more on the Liars and their friendships in the future, as the mysteries alone are not enough to carry a show — and that’s pretty much all we’ve gotten in the first five episodes.

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Image via HBO Max

The vibe of Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin could not be more different from the original series. The comparison we’ve heard from cast and crew alike to slasher films is definitely the best way to represent Millwood and the events of the season. There’s no shortage of death already, and the series has prided itself on the scare factor, which actually works and doesn’t feel completely cheesy. It’ll keep you on the edge of your seat, particularly because the infamous villain is being handled in a much different fashion. Whereas in Rosewood A lurks in the shadows, Millwood’s villain is out in the open, making sure the new Liars know they’re watching. It heightens the stakes, ensuring these girls know what is on the line from the very beginning. It’s incredibly thrilling and exciting.

Another issue is that the series does not seem like an extension of the Pretty Little Liars universe. It’s very similar to Riverdale and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, especially the horror of the latter, and would definitely feel more at home in that universe where Aguirre-Sacasa’s other shows exist. This doesn’t really feel like Pretty Little Liars or its previous spin-offs. Linking this new show to Pretty Little Liars holds it back in some ways because that automatically comes with expectations and both conscious and subconscious comparisons, so it’s not as easy to appreciate it for what it actually is versus what it’s not. For what it is, Original Sin is very enjoyable, actively proving its potential for future seasons. There’s so much more story to be told, and each episode leaves you wanting more. Even if it’s hard to connect with the Liars so far, their stories are intriguing, and the desperation to know the answers is already very strong. Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin has all the makings of a hit, but it remains to be seen whether it’ll reach its potential.

Rating: B+

The first three episodes of Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin premiere on July 28, exclusively on HBO Max.