Now that the Xanax-popping, neurotic older cousin of Pretty Little Liars, a.k.a. The Perfectionists, has hit its stride on Freeform, fans of the original series are surely inclined to search for all of the Rosewood references and Easter eggs lying around in this new university setting. Two of its wildest leads are back, after all! Well, spinoffs can be both a blessing and a curse: While there have been a few callbacks to the good ol’ PLL days, they’re on the infrequent side, as the show continues to push forward in unraveling the conspiracy surrounding a student’s murder. Still, Vulture will be compiling all of these “Aâ€-mazing references for the rest of the season. Enjoy!
Mona’s Parisian adventure ended … not with a bang
One of the last shots we see in the PLL series finale was our girl Mona finally fulfilling her enslaver destiny: holding Mary and Alex Drake captive in an underground Parisian dollhouse dungeon with a hot homme by her side. J’adore! So, it’s a bit weird to see her reemerge in the Pacific Northwest with some “I lost my mojo†reasoning, which was that the Drakes managed to échapper on outta there. “That was great for awhile,†she explained to Alison. “But eventually the reasons I was there … escaped me.â€
Alison and Emily are in a bit of a rough patch
You might recall how Alison was artificially inseminated with Emily’s eggs by “A†on PLL — yeah, that was a lot — with Alison choosing to continue the pregnancy. She later gave birth to twin girls, and we last saw the ladies become engaged with the intention of raising their family in Rosewood. In the years since, things haven’t remained stable between the two, which prompts Alison to take the job out West. “Emily loves me but just can’t get past the past,†she told Mona. “We are [in love], but we’re not. It always comes back to trust. But I’m giving up.â€
There are also photos of the family peppered around Alison’s new home, although they’re a bit hard to see:
Spencer and Toby got married!
To keep herself in a good headspace and not, uh, prone to her old black-hoodie ways, Mona gives her pal Hanna a call to gab about their lives. As we know from PLL’s finale, Hanna was pregnant with Caleb’s baby, and their phone conversation confirmed the child is happy and healthy. But on to more important matters: Spencer is now Mrs. Cavanaugh, bitch! “Spencer and Toby eloped? Even you didn’t know?†Mona squealed. “Well, are they registered somewhere? Of course I want to get them a gift.â€